Past research has suggested that women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at greater risk for mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Now, a new study suggests this may be down to hormonal imbalances before birth that affect the brain.

Share on Pinterest The greater mental health risk for women with PCOS may be explained by exposure to high testosterone levels before birth, according to researchers.

Principal investigator Dr. Elisabet Stener-Victorin, of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and colleagues publish their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Estimates suggest that as many as 5 million women of reproductive age in the US have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – a condition characterized by the growth of benign masses in one or both of the ovaries, known as ovarian cysts, as well as irregular periods and high blood levels of testosterone.

It is well established that female offspring of women with PCOS are more likely to develop the condition themselves. And it is not just the female offspring who are affected; the sons of women with PCOS tend to have a greater risk for obesity and diabetes, which are also complications of PCOS.

In addition, Dr. Stener-Victorin notes that 60% of women with PCOS have at least one mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety or an eating disorder, and they are also at greater risk for suicide.

Such risks have been attributed to increased exposure to male hormones, or androgens, through the mother’s blood in utero. However, the researchers note that the mechanisms underlying this association have been unclear.