Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at risk of memory and thinking problems in middle age, a study suggests.
Some three million women in Britain suffer from PCOS, which causes irregular periods, elevated levels of testosterone and can lead to infertility.
The condition has been linked to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure as well as heart problems and researchers have found it could also lead to brain problems.
A University of California study – involving more than 900 women – found that women with PCOS in their 50s and 60s had worse memory, attention and verbal skills than those without the condition. Brain scans showed that the connections between brain cells, known as white matter, were poorer in women with PCOS.
Dr Heather Huddleston, of UC San Francisco and study author, said the condition impacts up to 10 per cent of women and can cause patients to have “lower memory and thinking skills and subtle brain changes at midlife”. She added that further research is needed to confirm the findings and to determine how the change occurs, including looking at changes that people can make to reduce their chances of problems.
Polycystic ovaries are slightly larger than normal ovaries and have twice the number of follicles. The extra follicles are often unable to release an egg, which means ovulation does not take place and periods are infrequent or non-existent, leading to difficulties in becoming pregnant. However more than half of women with the condition do not have symptoms.
In the study participants looked at a list of words in different colours and were asked to state the colour of the ink rather than read the actual word. For example, the word “blue” could be displayed in red, so the correct response would be red. Patients scored 11 per cent lower. People with PCOS scored on average 11 per cent lower compared to people without the condition. Experts said the research does not prove that PCOS causes cognitive decline. It is possible that the underlying health reasons which trigger the condition also bring problems for the brain. Alternatively, coping with the condition may cause ongoing stress which damages white matter. Many women with PCOS also suffer from depression and psychological problems.
Nevertheless, women have been advised to consider taking up cardiovascular exercise which is known to improve brain health and cell connectivity. Aerobic exercise has been shown to significantly increase white matter. The exact cause of the link between PCOS and brain problems is yet to be determined, but the findings provide valuable insight into the potential impact of the condition on women’s cognitive health.
