Heredity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often have excess male hormones, irregular ovulation and many small cysts on the periphery of their ovaries.


Ricardo Azziz, MD, MPH, MBA
Chairman, Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology;
Director, Center for
Androgen-Related Disorders;
Director, Division of Reproductive
Endocrinology and Infertility
Symptoms include irregular or no menstrual periods, obesity or weight gain, acne or oily skin, excess hair growth on face and other parts of the body, and infertility. Women with PCOS are often insulin resistant, a condition in which high levels of insulin circulate in the blood and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

While there isn't yet a cure for PCOS, discoveries made by Cedars-Sinai researchers are shedding light on who is most at risk for developing PCOS. For example, Ricardo Azziz, MD, chairman of Cedars-Sinai's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, led a study which found that of 93 PCOS patients, 78 of their mothers and 50 of their sisters also had the disorder. In a separate study, Dr. Azziz and his team concluded that Mexican-American women have an increased risk of developing PCOS compared to African-American and non-Hispanic white women.

Most recently, Cedars-Sinai researchers presented preliminary evidence that the level of androgens (male hormones that normally exist at low levels in women) produced by the adrenal glands of preadolescent girls may serve as markers for the risk of developing PCOS. The team is also studying a gene that appears to play a role in PCOS development.

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