Abstract
Author(s): DAGMARA PLUTA, PAWEÅ MADEJ, MARTA MAKSYM
Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common endocrinopathies in women of repro-ductive age. Although the etiopathogenesis of PCOS is still unknown, the results of studiesindicate that the disorder has a number of suspected causative factors, including genetic,hormonal, and environmental factors. The most common diagnostic criteria used today fordiagnosing PCOS are the Rotterdam criteria: presence of menstrual cycle irregularities (ma-inly oligomenorrhea), clinical or biochemical evidence of androgen excess, and ultrasoundevidence of polycystic ovaries.Patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome can also have features of the metabolic syndro-me, including insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity (specificallycentral obesity). As demonstrated in the latest studies, insulin resistance and carbohydratemetabolism imbalance may be also caused by iron overload. The polycystic ovary syndromehas been associated with iron overload, which can be explained by oligomenorrhea and de-creased circulating hepcidin concentrations, leading to increased iron accumulation and ab- sorption. Further studies should focus on ways to reduce iron levels in PCOS, which in thelong run could help restore the balance of carbohydrate metabolism in women suffering fromthis syndrome.