Hormones and PCOS
Some interesting facts about hormones in people with PCOS:
Lutenizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
LH and FSH are the hormones that encourage ovulation. Both LH and FSH are secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain.
While many women with PCOS still have LH and FSH still within the 5-20 mlU/ml range, their LH level is often two or three times that of the FSH level. For example, it is typical for women with PCOS to have an LH level of about 18 mlU/ml and a FSH level of about 6 mlU/ml (notice that both levels fall within the normal range of 5-20 mlU/ml). This situation is called an elevated LH to FSH ratio or a ratio of 3:1. This change in the LH to FSH ratio is enough to disrupt ovulation.
After coming across this, I took a peek into my past blood test results, and indeed, my LH level was 3 times that of my FSH level. I thought this is a quick and easy way to check if you might have PCOS.
Testosterone
All women have testosterone in their bodies. There are two methods to measure testosterone levels:
Total Testosterone
Free Testosterone
Total testosterone refers to the total amount of all testosterone, including the free testosterone, in your body. The range for this is 6.0-86 ng/dl. Free testosterone refers to the amount of testosterone that is unbound and actually active in your body. This amount usually ranges from 0.7-3.6 pg/ml. Women with PCOS often have an increased level of both total testosterone and free testosterone. Furthermore, even a slight increase in testosterone in a woman’s body can suppress normal menstruation and ovulation.
Androstenedione (ANDRO)
Androgen is a hormone that is produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Sometimes high levels of this hormone can affect estrogen and testosterone levels. Normal levels are between 0.7 3.1 ng/ml.
Take a look at your previous blood test results and see what your results were.
