Insulin resistance, a metabolic disorder in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and its implications for clinical management

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial endocrine-metabolic disorder that contains several theories about its etiology, including insulin resistance (IR) as a possible triggering factor for PCOS. Given this thesis, the implication of insulin resistance in the clinical management of PCOS is questioned. This research aimed to review the characteristics and pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome, having as main focus women with PCOS who have insulin resistance and what this would imply in the etiology and its clinical management. An integrative bibliographic review of scientific studies, published between 2012-2022, was carried out on the relationship between PCOS and metabolic disorders linked to IR that interferes with clinical management. The analysis of the articles revealed that IR interferes with the pathophysiology of PCOS and may be related to its origin. It was also found that the use of oral contraceptives can affect the IR in individuals with PCOS and that the first choice in clinical management is to change the lifestyle of this population. It is concluded that the first-line treatment in this population is a lifestyle change, however, studies on the correlation of PCOS and IR regarding its etiology and the use of oral contraceptives in patients with PCOS associated with IR are still lacking.