She was diagnosed when she became infertile during her adolescence. Chenchen, aged 30, had been married for three years and was ready to have a baby, but what bothered her was that her menstruation was becoming more and more abnormal. At the same time, Chenchen was getting fatter and fatter, and her weight increased by 10 kg in 3 months. So, the couple went to the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. After the examination, the specialist diagnosed “polycystic ovary syndrome”, which is the main cause of her infertility. In fact, polycystic ovary syndrome is a congenital disease that usually develops during adolescence and manifests itself as menstrual disorders, scanty menstruation or even amenorrhea. However, since many adolescent females experience irregular menstruation after menarche, about 85% of them are anovulatory in the first year of menarche, but the vast majority of them develop regular ovulation two years after menarche. Therefore, when adolescent women have menstrual disorders, they assume that this is a normal part of puberty and thus ignore polycystic ovary syndrome. Those girls who develop the disease during puberty wait until they are married and want to have children, then they find that they cannot get pregnant until they are diagnosed with “polycystic ovary syndrome”. Treatment is not simply ovulation promotion. Generally speaking, in case of scanty menstruation, amenorrhea, infertility and hirsutism, doctors usually recommend the following tests to check whether the patient has “polycystic ovary syndrome”. Polycystic ovary syndrome is usually characterized by high androgen levels. The diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome can be made when two of the above three criteria are met and other causes of hyperandrogenism are excluded. Due to prolonged anovulation, patients are unable to conceive. These patients often want their doctors to promote ovulation directly and conceive as soon as possible. This is actually a misconception, says Yang Dongzi. It is easy to promote ovulation, but the disease is not solved. Even if a patient gets pregnant after ovulation promotion, her embryo may be exposed to an environment of excessive androgens in the uterus, which also has a negative impact on the fetus. According to statistics, women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a 40%-50% incidence of gestational diabetes and 5% hyperemesis after pregnancy, as well as higher rates of neonatal complications and stillbirths than normal women. Therefore, experts believe that patients with polycystic ovary syndrome must undergo comprehensive treatment, rather than simply promoting ovulation for conception. Weight loss is another important tool Gynecologists take comprehensive treatment measures for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome with the aim of promoting fertility and being able to prevent long term complications. Patients begin with lifestyle interventions, namely diet control and exercise therapy, which are the preferred interventions. Especially in those with comorbid obesity, weight loss is the basis of all treatment. Studies have found that ovulation rates increase in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who lose 5-10% of their body weight. Weight loss also helps to improve insulin sensitivity and hyperinsulinemia, thus reducing the occurrence of distant complications. In fact, a proper diet and moderate exercise are the safest and cheapest treatments for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. The dietary principles are low salt (less than 6 g/day), low cholesterol, low calorie, and high fiber diet. Simply put, it means eating more vegetables, fruits, coarse grains, vegetable oils (olive oil is best), and fish, supplemented by moderate amounts of eggs, meat, and nuts. Scientific exercise is another important means of weight loss. It is recommended to choose aerobic exercise, such as jogging, cycling, swimming and so on. Exercise intensity to medium intensity is most appropriate, each exercise time lasts at least 30 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week exercise. Only when the above methods are ineffective, the use of drugs to reduce weight should be considered. In addition, patients should correct endocrine disorders and reduce the level of androgens in the body under the guidance of doctors. Yang Dongzi said that androgen levels can be effectively reduced by taking oral contraceptives and glucocorticoids. Through comprehensive treatment, not only can patients with polycystic ovary syndrome ovulate and get pregnant successfully, but also reduce the occurrence of long-term complications. There are four major features of polycystic ovary syndrome 1. Menstrual disorders This is the most common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome. The normal menstrual cycle is 21-35 days. More than 35 days is considered as scanty menstruation; if menstruation stops for more than 3 months, it is called secondary amenorrhea. Most cases of polycystic ovary syndrome are characterized by sparse menstruation and secondary amenorrhea, often preceded by sparse or scanty menstruation. Infertility is the main cause of infertility in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome in their reproductive years, accounting for about 75% of cases. Infertility is the main reason for patients to visit the clinic. 3. Hirsutism and acne caused by high androgen levels are the most unique clinical manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome. The main manifestations are hairy upper lip resembling beard, increased hair on forearm and lower leg, and dense pubic hair. According to statistics, about 78% of women with hirsutism are suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome. The patient’s oily skin and acne is also common, which is related to the body’s high androgen stimulation sebaceous gland secretion. Obesity 50%-70% of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome are combined with obesity, which is mainly because patients have disorders of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism.