Therapy for polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Women with this disorder exhibit an array of disorders, including oligo-ovulation, hyperandrogenism, obesity, hyperlipidemia, infertility and insulin resistance. Of the sequelae that women experience, insulin resistance is associated with the most profound long-term morbidity. Initially, treatment regimens targeted specific symptomatology in these women, such as oligomenorrhea or hirsutism. With the discovery of the common association between insulin resistance and polycystic ovarian syndrome, however, we are able to utilize a new class of systemically targeted drugs that work on many of the symptoms found in these women.