title: [Polycystic ovary syndrome: the importance of establishing diagnosis].
abstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common disorder that occurs up to 10% of premenopausal women. Although PCOS is known to be associated with a higher reproductive morbility and increased risk of hormone dependent-cancer, its diagnosis is particularly important because PCOS is strongly linked to insulin resistance. This involves a major risk of early metabolic and cardiovascular complications. On the other hand, the prevalence of metabolic disorders associated with insulin resistance is higher in family members of patients with PCOS than in those of normal women, which suggests that the treatment of this syndrome should be preventive rather than symptomatic. For that reason, PCOS might be considered a signal of a family disorder, a route to diabetes and a public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Metabolismo, Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina Occidente, Universidad de Chile. tsir@entelchile.net
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sir-Petermann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maliqueo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Bravo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvajal
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: del Solar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benítez
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism