Insulin resistance can cause hormonal dysregulation in men. (Photo: Pixabay) While PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) in women is caused because of higher levels of testosterone, PCOS in men is a result of the production of excessive insulin. Rashi Chowdhary, a diabetes educator, explains how insulin resistance can lead to hormones going haywire despite the blood glucose levels staying normal.
She also says this can be “a genetic condition, but environmental factors and lifestyle choice pull the trigger for the genes to be expressed”.
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The top five symptoms of PCOS among men are:
Man boobs
When elevated, free testosterone and DHT get “aromatized by fat cells into estrogen which can cause man boobs”.
Endothelial dysfunction leads to a reduction in the flow of blood to the penis which is largely responsible for erectile dysfunction. She adds, “it also activates the sympathetic nervous system making it difficult to achieve or maintain an erection”.
Reduction in sex hormone-binding globulin
PCOS in males can lead to a reduction in the hormone known as SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) which can cause a disrupted lipid profile.
Enlarged prostate
This is one of the earliest symptoms of PCOS in which, there is a frequent need to urinate or a slow urinary system.
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