Hormonal
Excess body fat during childhood and adolescence causally increases the risk of developing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in adulthood, independent of adult body size.
Maintaining healthy body composition during childhood and adolescence is critical for preventing PCOS later in life. Even if adult weight is normal, excess fat during youth leaves a lasting metabolic imprint (insulin resistance/low SHBG) that increases PCOS risk. Early lifestyle interventions are the most effective prevention strategy.
Our study demonstrates for the first time a critical role of the impact of excess childhood/adolescent adiposity on the pathophysiology of adult PCOS... Childhood body size had an independent effect on PCOS odds after adjusting for adult body size (OR: 2.56, 1.57–4.20).
Why this rating
Uses robust Mendelian Randomization (MR) to establish causality, minimizing confounding and reverse causation, supported by large-scale meta-analysis.
Source
Childhood, adolescent, and adulthood adiposity are associated with risk of PCOS: a Mendelian randomization study with meta-analysis
Laurence J. Dobbie et al. · Human Reproduction · 2023
DOI 10.1093/humrep/dead053
More from this paper
- Higher fasting insulin levels and lower Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) levels causally increase the risk of PCOS, acting as key metabolic drivers of the syndrome.Strong
- Adult obesity and overweight significantly increase the odds of PCOS, with adolescents showing even higher odds than adults for the same degree of adiposity.Strong
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