Fertility Myth 8 - PCOS is due to Insulin Resistance. #pcos #pcosawareness

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:01]Fertility myth number eight, PCOS is due to  insulin resistance. I mean, if you do a Google search, you'll find that this is a very prevalent  uh theory or even practice. Uh so, and that's linked to, you know, weight gain and things like  that. Uh it isn't. I mean, PCOS is not directly caused by insulin resistance. Let me explain. Uh  the Rotterdam criteria sets out three separate criteria. First one is about period cycles and  ovelation. Second is about how many follicles in the ovary or whether your AMH which is a hormone  is too high. The third is about whether you have symptoms or skin problems or hair problems which  are caused by high testosterone. So if you look at the three separate criteria that sets out by the  W of them criteria which is a formal diagnostic scheme for PCOS or of which all three of them are  related to hormones. There's no mention of insulin resistance at all. Now if PCOS is caused or  underpinned or associated with insulin resistance why is there the off formal diagnostic criteria  not mention it? The second reason why PCOS is underpinned by insulin resistance is a myth is  that doctors have tried using uh medications such as metformin which is designed for diabetes uh to  deal with PCOS and it's largely unsuccessful. In fact, I was told by a consultant that only 5%  of women respond to metformin uh very well and uh and NHS is now withdrawing or or not really  encouraging doctors to to prescribe it. So, a a medication that is designed to deal with  incident resistance doesn't work. The formal diagnostic uh framework for diagnosing  PCOS has not included insulin resistance.

[00:02:10]So therefore PCOS is underpinned by insulin  resistance is not is a myth. It is not true.