Systematic review of weight loss on PCOS symptoms

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects how women’s ovaries work. It can cause problems with how their bodies control blood sugar. This effects the entire body. PCOS affects around 1 in 5 women aged between 15-45 years old and costs the NHS £237 million per year.

PCOS can lead to acne, male-patterned body hair, weight gain and infrequent periods. Up to 75% of women with PCOS have fertility problems. Most PCOS symptoms are caused by having hormone problems. Not everybody with PCOS will have the same symptoms. This can make it hard to know what treatments or advice to offer.

Many women with PCOS live with obesity or overweight. This means they have an increased risk of getting other problems like type 2 diabetes, heart and liver disease. People with PCOS often find it harder to lose weight compared with people who don’t have PCOS. This is also true for people with Type 2 diabetes and may be caused by changes in their blood sugars or hormones.

People with PCOS told us that they find it hard to find the right information about the best ways to help them lose weight. Doctors are told to advise people with PCOS and obesity to lose weight. Some people with PCOS who asked their GP for help felt that GPs did not know if specific diets could improve PCOS symptoms.

Studies have shown that a small amount of weight loss (3-9% of your starting weight) can improve some symptoms of PCOS. But these studies have not included many people and didn’t look at all symptoms of PCOS. This means it is hard to know if weight loss can improve all of the symptoms of PCOS that people can have and if one method of weight loss is best. It is not known if people with PCOS find some weight loss methods easier and better than others.

In this project, I will look at all of the evidence from published trials looking at how weight loss affects PCOS. I will compare different ways that have been used to achieve weight loss to identify which method might be best to improve PCOS symptoms.

I will talk to people living with PCOS in groups and individually, to learn about their experiences of weight loss. I will ask for their thoughts about important measures to look at when assessing PCOS treatments. I will work with people who have PCOS during this work to shape the next steps in this research. I will learn from them about what matters most and share my findings with them. I hope to use this project to create a dietary treatment for people with PCOS.

Amount Awarded: £36,290