[Relationship between insulin secretion, and thyroid and ovary function in patients suffering from polycystic ovary]

The present paper investigates the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism and insulin-resistance and how, by submitting patients to a specific therapy for any one of the three pathologies, we also obtain an improvement in the other associated pathologies.

We selected 45 patients aged between 16 and 25 with problems of polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism and insulin-resistance and divided them into 3 groups. The 15 Group A patients followed a dietetic therapy. The 15 patients of Group B received hormonal therapy. The 15 Group C patients received replacement therapy with laevo-thyroxine. All patients had their thyroid and ovary function checked every six months and a glycoinsulinaemic curve was plotted after glucose loading.

A reduction in TSH levels and an increase in the values of circulating thyroid hormones was observed in all patients. The ovary situation underwent both a hormonal and symptomatological improvement with diminution in LH and testosterone levels and an increase in progesterone. The glucose-insulin picture of our patients progressively improved in all 3 groups studied.

The data obtained in our study enable us to support the close connection between ovary function, thyroid function and insulin-resistance. In all patients, in fact, albeit at different times, an improvement was obtained in all 3 pathologies.