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Reproductive endocrinology

Menstrual dysfunction—a proxy for insulin resistance in PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently associated with metabolic dysfunction. A new study suggests that in women with PCOS the severity of menstrual dysfunction serves as a predictor of the presence, and possibly the degree, of insulin resistance. This finding might serve to refine the indications for metabolic screening in PCOS.

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Figure 1: The heterogenous nature of PCOS.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the support of Grant FIS PI1100357 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

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Correspondence to Héctor F. Escobar-Morreale.

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Escobar-Morreale, H. Menstrual dysfunction—a proxy for insulin resistance in PCOS?. Nat Rev Endocrinol 10, 10–11 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2013.232

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