Although the cysts found in polycystic ovaries are not harmful on their own the abnormal menstrual cycle and hormonal imbalance associated with them can make PCOS sufferers more susceptible to health risks later in life. These health risks include:
- endometrial cancer
- non-insulin-dependent diabetes or type 2 diabetes
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- stroke
- more than 50 percent of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) before the age of 40
- women with PCOS have a four to seven times higher risk of heart attack than women of the same age without PCOS
- women with PCOS are at greater risk of having high blood pressure
- women with PCOS have high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol