"Hormone Levels May Predict PCOS in Premenarchal Girls" - Regina Schaffer
Daughters of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit a distinctive reproductive phenotype before puberty that can predict PCOS risk when compared with normal-weight girls and girls with obesity, according to findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. “PCOS can only be diagnosed in girls after the start of menses,” said Andrea Dunaif, MD, chief of the Hilda and J. Lester Gabrilove division of endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “However, increased testosterone levels are present before the onset of menstrual cycles in daughters of women with PCOS. Obese girls who are not daughters of women with PCOS also have elevated testosterone levels before menarche.” Dr. Dunaif concluded, “Our findings suggest that testosterone and AMH levels could be used to predict risk for PCOS in premenarchal daughters of women with PCOS. This would permit early interventions to prevent disease progression.”
— Andrea Dunaif, MD, Chief, Hilda and J. Lester Gabrilove Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System