Lexington, Massachusetts – Infertility specialists at the Reproductive Science Center of New England say they are seeing a troublingly significant increase in patients with the most common cause of irregular menstrual cycles, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), an obesity-related condition that has grown in prevalence over the last five years.

 In the United States, 30 percent of adults – some 60 million people – are clinically obese, according U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.  Physicians at RSC report that the obesity epidemic appears to be affecting reproductive health through the increasing number of patients with PCOS, a common endocrine disorder that effects 5 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age.

According to a study released in January by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, women who eat a diet high in trans fats may increase their risk of infertility.  The study found that for every 2 percent increase in the amount of calories a woman consumes from trans fats instead of carbohydrates, she increases her risk of infertility by 73 percent.

 “Obesity is often associated with medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease,” says Dr. Isaac Z. Glatstein, associate medical director at RSC. “People are often surprised to learn that body weight has a major affect on infertility in both sexes.”

A Danish study published in the March issue of the journal Human Reproduction found that compared with normal weight couples, obese couples participating were almost three times as likely to take more than a year to achieve pregnancy. Obese women had a 78 percent greater risk of being sub-fertile than normal weight women, and obese men had a 49 percent increased risk for sub-fertility than normal-weight men.

“The heavier the population gets, the more cases of PCOS we are seeing,” says Dr. Glatstein.  “Public education about the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle through a sound diet and physical exercise is more important now than ever.”

“PCOS is often diagnosed by identifying a combination of physical symptoms including irregular or absent menstrual cycles, increased male hormone production, multiple ovarian cysts, insulin resistance, acne and hair loss.” Says Dr. Glatstein.  “Although PCOS can occur in women of any weight, the condition is more common in the obese patient.”

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, more than 70 percent of women who are infertile as the result of body weight disorders will conceive spontaneously if their weight disorder is corrected through a weight-adjustment diet as appropriate. Medication is also efficacious in treatment support for PCOS and other weight-related infertility problems when adequate weight loss can not be achieved with diet and exercise.

Backgrounder on PCOS, Obesity, and Infertility follows.

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About Reproductive Science Center

With eight locations throughout New England, Reproductive Science Center is the seventh largest medical practice of its kind nationwide, known coast to coast for its innovative patient care, advanced laboratory capabilities and for success rates that are among the highest in the United States.  Founded in 1988, RSC is led today by a team of seven physicians – four of whom are women, making it one of the largest groups of female reproductive endocrinologists in the Northeast. RSC is a member of IntegraMed America, an exclusive network limited to the highest performing infertility practices in larger metro areas around the United States. More than one out of every five IVF procedures in the United States is performed in an IntegraMed practice. For more information, visit www.rscnewengland.com.