Why do I need to do a “sugar water” test if I have polycystic ovary syndrome? Outpatients often have this question. In fact, what they call “sugar water” test is the glucose tolerance test and insulin release test, which most patients think are tests that need to be done when they have diabetes, but in fact they are not. What is the normal blood sugar (fasting)? 3.9-5.9mmol/L. What are the diagnostic criteria for diabetes? Two fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or random blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (to be confirmed again on another day, excluding stressful conditions, such as infection, trauma). What is reduced glucose tolerance? It refers to the intermediate state between normal and diabetic glucose metabolism. What is insulin? It is a protein hormone secreted by the pancreatic beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is involved in regulating glucose metabolism and controlling blood sugar balance, and can be used to treat diabetes. What is insulin resistance? It is a phenomenon in which adipocytes, muscle cells and liver cells do not respond adequately to normal concentrations of insulin, meaning that these cells need higher concentrations of insulin to respond to insulin. The high plasma levels of insulin and sugar caused by insulin resistance often lead to metabolic syndrome, gout and type 2 diabetes. What does the glucose tolerance test do? The oral glucose tolerance test is a glucose loading test in which the subject takes oral glucose powder within 5 minutes after fasting (8-10h) starting at 7-9 am. By measuring the blood glucose level in fasting and 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours after taking glucose, it is used to understand the function of pancreatic beta cells (an endocrine cell that secretes insulin and regulates blood glucose level) and the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose. This test not only assists in diagnosing diabetes, but also further evaluates whether you are pre-diabetic. What is an insulin release test? It is a test that allows the patient to take glucose orally or with a bun meal to stimulate insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. By measuring plasma insulin levels on a fasting basis and 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours after taking sugar, it is used to understand the reserve function of pancreatic beta cells and also helps to type and guide the treatment of diabetes. Why do patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS for short) need to have “sugar water” test? PCOS is an endocrine disease and a metabolic disease. 50-70% of patients with PCOS have insulin resistance. In addition to abnormal menstruation, infertility, hirsutism, obesity and other manifestations that affect the quality of life and aesthetics of patients, the disease can also cause immediate and long-term complications. Diabetes mellitus is one of the long-term complications in patients with PCOS. According to the literature, 31%-35% of PCOS patients have abnormal glucose tolerance and 7.5%-10% have type 2 diabetes. 20-40% of PCOS patients develop abnormal glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes around the age of 40, and their prevalence is significantly higher than that of women of the same age. Almost all patients with type 2 diabetes have to go through the stage of reduced glucose tolerance, and patients with reduced glucose tolerance may develop diabetes, so this stage is also called “pre-diabetes”. The results of a large-scale epidemiological survey of Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome from 2007 to 2011 showed that about 20-30% of PCOS patients have different degrees of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications. From the above data, we can see that PCOS patients are at risk of diabetes, but with appropriate intervention in the pre-diabetic period, it is entirely possible to reverse the systemic metabolic status of the patient for the better. The key is early detection and early treatment. For those who suffer from PCOS, it is recommended that you take half a day to patiently complete the “sugar water” test.