Having higher-than-normal androgen levels can affect your fertility and other aspects of your health.

Infertility

To get pregnant, you have to ovulate. Women who do not ovulate regularly do not release as many eggs to be fertilized. PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility in women.

Metabolic Syndrome

Up to 80 percent of women with PCOS are overweight or have obesity. Both obesity and PCOS increase your risk for:

• high blood sugar
• high blood pressure
• low HDL “good” cholesterol
• high LDL “bad” cholesterol

Together, these factors are called metabolic syndrome and they increase the risk for:

• heart disease
• diabetes
• stroke

Sleep Apnea

This condition causes repeated pauses in breathing during the night, which interrupt sleep.

Sleep apnea is more common in women who are overweight especially if they also have PCOS. The risk for sleep apnea is 5 to 10 times higher in women who have both obesity and PCOS than in those without PCOS.

Endometrial Cancer

During ovulation, the uterine lining sheds. If you don’t ovulate every month, the lining can build up.

A thickened uterine lining can increase your risk for endometrial cancer.

Depression

Both hormonal changes and symptoms like unwanted hair growth can negatively affect your emotions. Many with PCOS eventually experience depression and anxiety.