Risk of diabetes linked to fertility issue, doctor says

Dubai: Women who have fertility issues tend to invariably have diabetes but don't know it, according to a study done by a Sharjah-based doctor.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the risk factors for the life-long disease diabetes, and early intervention would help many women, said Dr Pankaj Shrivastav, medical director of a fertility clinic.

Polycystic which literally means many cysts, affects the ovaries that produce eggs. Women who are obese are also at risk of developing PCOS and diabetes, said the doctor.

"The study findings were stunning," said the doctor. He said among 100 consecutive couples checked it was found that 75 per cent of the women had PCOS. The majority of women suffering from this fertility issue were South Asian (42 per cent) and nearly 40 per cent were Gulf-Arab women," he said.

"You know who will develop diabetes as time goes on," said the doctor who heads the Conceive fertility clinic. He said in this part of the world married women also tend to dramatically put on weight. "After marriage they put on about three to four kilos per year."

Dr Pankaj does not understand why it occurs only to these ethnic groups, but not to Caucasian women.

He said doctors tend not to warn women with PCOS that they also are risk of developing diabetes in their 40s. By then the diabetes is full-blown as the body cannot control blood sugar.

Focus on goals

"The medical profession needs to be more alert to the dangers of diabetes," he said, noting that Emiratis and indians have the highest incidence of Type 2 diabetes.

He said people do not take steps and lead a healthier lifestyle even though there is awareness about the dangers of diabetes. He said maybe doctors should focus on short-term goals and how eating healthy, losing weight and exercising will improve skin and help conceive by normalising hormonal problems, instead of how they will develop diabetes down the line.