What is PCOS?

What is PCOS?

Despite what the name suggests, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome isn’t just about ovaries—or cysts, for that matter. In fact, many people diagnosed with PCOS don’t have any ovarian cysts at all. Confusing? You’re not alone. The name dates back to how the condition was first described, but science has come a long way since then. Today, we understand that PCOS is really a complex hormonal and metabolic condition that affects far more than reproductive health.

At its core, PCOS is about hormonal imbalance. When key hormones like insulin, androgens (like testosterone), and others are out of sync, they can create a domino effect throughout the body. This hormonal miscommunication can lead to irregular periods, acne, weight changes, hair loss or excess hair growth, difficulty with ovulation or fertility—and that’s just the shortlist. But here’s the thing: PCOS doesn’t follow a single pattern. Some women experience textbook symptoms. Others don’t fit the mold at all. That’s part of what makes PCOS so challenging—and why understanding your unique experience matters.

So, how can the PCOS Association help?

We’re here to offer more than definitions. We’re here to offer direction. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, still searching for answers, or years into your journey and feeling stuck, we’re committed to helping you make sense of PCOS—and make progress.

Here’s what you’ll find at PCOSA:

  • Reliable, science-backed information about what PCOS is (and isn’t)

  • 💬 Supportive communities of people who understand exactly what you’re going through

  • 🧬 Resources for navigating fertility, metabolic health, nutrition, and more

  • 🧠 Education for providers who want to better support their PCOS patients

  • 🙋‍♀️ Advocacy to make sure PCOS is recognized, researched, and respected

No fluff. No fad cures. Just real support, grounded in evidence and compassion.

At PCOSA, we believe every person with PCOS deserves to be informed, empowered, and heard. Wherever you are in your journey, we’re honored to walk with you.

pcos

pcos: Latest results from PubMed

circRNA_BMPR2 affects the progression of polycystic ovary syndrome by regulating the expression of Rab43

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive and metabolic disorder causing infertility in women of childbearing age.Circular RNAs are known to be involved in PCOS development, but their regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. This study explored the role of circ_BMPR2 in PCOS to advance early diagnosis and treatment.It found elevated circ_BMPR2 expression in ovarian granulosa cells of PCOS patients. Knocking down of circ_BMPR2 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in KGN...

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Wang Liping, Tao Chenyue, Chen Shuai, Gui Liu, Zhang Yitong, Jiang Min, Zhou Dongjie, Zhou Luojing,

GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight loss and fertility: Social media and online perception versus evidence-based medicine

CONCLUSION: The Positive sentiments among women without PCOS is not justified by evidence-based medicine and there is a clear need for studies pertaining to this topic.

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Zaher Merhi, Manasi Karekar, Marco Mouanness,

miR-423-3p inhibits CTNNBIP1/WNT preventing hyperandrogenic PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) lacks the generally accepted diagnostic biomarkers and targeted therapy. Increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in PCOS. Hereby, we tested the functional implications of a novel miRNA (miR-423-3p) as a mediator in the progress of hyperandrogenic PCOS, as well as its potential as a new serum biomarker and therapeutic target for the PCOS. We found significantly decreased miR-423-3p levels in serum, granulosa cells (hGCs), and...

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Shanshan Zhang, Yajing Liu, Mingming Wang, Donata Ponikwicka-Tyszko, Slawomir Wolczynski, Li Chen, Xuan Huang, Bing Yao, Nafis A Rahman, Xiangdong Li,

Establishment of age-related AMH screening cutoffs in Chinese women with PCOS: a retrospective study using propensity score matching analysis

CONCLUSION: Our research indicates that age specific AMH threshold values show promising sensitivity and specificity for PCOS screening in the validation cohort. These findings indicate the potential utility of AMH based screening, but emphasize the need for optimization and validation in larger multicenter studies before clinical implementation.

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Zhen Wang, Xiaojing Teng, Yanfei Liu, Yonghai Shen, Lin Ma, Yu Chen,

Mechanistic insights into the Bushen Huatan Huoxue Formula and its components in ameliorating obesity-associated polycystic ovary syndrome

CONCLUSION: BHHF exerts multi-targeted therapeutic effects on obesity-associated PCOS by regulating metabolic-reproductive crosstalk. Its components act synergistically, offering a novel therapeutic strategy for PCOS treatment. Future research should focus on identifying core active compounds and optimizing treatment according to individual PCOS phenotypes.

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Yu-Xin Jin, Hang-Qi Hu, Jia-Cheng Zhang, Yu-Tian Zhu, Hao-Lin Zhang, Xi-Yan Xin, Rui-Wen Fan, Yang Ye, Yin Li, Dong Li,

Metabolic syndrome combined with insulin resistance showed great predictive value in evaluating recurrence in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia and early endometrial cancer

CONCLUSION: MRS is a new evaluating predictor that could significantly improve the predictive accuracy for recurrence in fertility preservation treatment for AEH and early EC patients, especially when combined with IR.

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Yuman Wu, Jingyuan Wang, Yuan Fan, Jianliu Wang, Xingchen Li,

Shorter ovarian stimulation is detrimental to fresh embryo transfer outcomes in PCOS women undergoing GnRH antagonist protocol: a retrospective cohort study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder with dysfunctional ovulation affecting female fertility. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between gonadotropin (Gn) duration and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in PCOS women undergoing GnRH antagonist treatment. Retrospective cohort study at a large private fertility practice. Patients with PCOS undergoing the GnRHantagonist treatment between January 1, 2017, and July 31, 2021 were included. Patients...

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Shan Xiao, Su Liu, Ling Hong, Zhiqiang Liu, Rui Jia, Hongzhan Zhang, Meilan Mo, TuRui Yang,

Exploring the regulatory mechanisms of reproductive dysfunction in obese patients with PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder often worsened by obesity, leading to chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and reproductive dysfunction. This study aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive dysfunction in obese PCOS patients by identifying key regulatory genes, pathways, and immune interactions, with a focus on cross-tissue regulators and potential therapeutic targets. We analyzed transcriptomic data from multiple datasets,...

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Jing Cui, Hui Chang, Yunxia Song, Haiyan Wang, Lin Sun,

Comparing the metabolomic landscape of polycystic ovary syndrome within urban and rural environments

CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights potential environment-related biomarkers for PCOS, emphasizing the importance of developing tailored treatment strategies considering environmental factors. The distinct metabolic profiles observed between urban and rural women provide new insights into the syndrome's complex mechanisms, indicating that environmental influences play a critical role in its biochemical expression and may affect its clinical manifestations.

Published on: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Jalpa Patel, Hiral Chaudhary, Abhishek Chudasama, Jaydeep Panchal, Akanksha Trivedi, Sonal Panchal, Trupti Joshi, Rushikesh Joshi,

Metabolic and Hormonal Profile of Insulin-Like Peptide 5 (INSL5) in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Prospective Analysis

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder with diverse metabolic and hormonal manifestations. Insulin-like peptide 5 (INSL5), a gut-derived hormone of the relaxin/insulin family, is expressed in the central nervous system, colonic and reproductive tissues, but its clinical significance in PCOS remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate circulating INSL5 levels in PCOS and explore their associations with key hormonal and metabolic parameters. In this prospective...

Published on: Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Deniz Cengiz, Esra Nur Ademoğlu Dilekçi, Ömür Albayrak, Özgür Mehmet Yis,

Research on Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Its Relationship to Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Obesity

CONCLUSION: FGF21 does not appear to play a significant role in the pathophysiology of PCOS or its associated metabolic abnormalities.

Published on: Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Derya Koçaslan, Gürcan Kısakol,

Effect of GnRH antagonist pretreatment before controlled ovarian stimulation in antagonist protocol for infertile women with PCOS undergoing IVF/ICSI: A propensity score matching analysis

This retrospective cohort study evaluates the clinical effects of an antagonist protocol on in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection among infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. A propensity score matching analysis was conducted of 402 infertile women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. The patients were divided into 2 groups: GnRH antagonist (GnRH-ant) pretreatment protocol (n = 202) and...

Published on: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Huanying Liang, Jing Zhao, Yan Chi, Jiangchuan Cai, Guifeng Li, Yisheng Zhang, Liling Liu,

Successful outcome of assisted reproductive technology in women with polycystic ovary syndrome combined with empty follicle syndrome: A case report

RATIONALE: Empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is a rare and difficult-to-treat condition. Obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered an independent risk factor for it. In this study, we report a case of successful pregnancy in an obese patient with PCOS combined with EFS and discuss the pathogenesis of EFS and optimal treatment strategies.

Published on: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Danyang Guo, Lin Zhang, Xiaoxia Lin, Sha Tang, Bin Zhang, Linlin Ni,

Pirfenidone reduces ovarian fibrosis and improves PCOS in letrozole-induced rat model

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder characterized by cystic ovarian morphology, anovulation, and infertility. Ovarian fibrosis has recently emerged as a key pathological feature of PCOS. This study investigated whether pirfenidone (PFD), an antifibrotic agent, could improve ovarian dysfunction in a letrozole-induced PCOS rat model. Forty-two female Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups (n=7 each): control, PFD, PCOS, PCOS/PFD, PCOS/combined oral...

Published on: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Ayşe Çakır Gündoğdu, Neziha Senem Arı, Ahmet Koçak, Gülnihal Şenol, Asiye Höbel, Ömer Eldiven, Fatih Kar, Orhan Özatik,

Anxiety in polycystic ovary syndrome - a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common chronic endocrine disorders. One of the serious comorbidity of PCOS are mental disorders including anxiety disorders. The objective of this meta analysis review was to determine the prevalence, the mean level, standardized mean difference and probability of anxiety based on research conducted using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A).

Published on: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Authors: Ewa Humeniuk, Paweł Dybciak, Dorota Raczkiewicz, Tomasz Powrózek, Teresa Malecka-Massalska, Agata Andrzejczyk, Krzysztof Suski, Iwona Bojar,