Female Diabetics' With Irregular Periods Might Signal Excess Hormones Release

A small study suggests that an excess of male hormones could be involved in women who suffer with diabetes than in case of the normal women. Researchers have found that women with Type 2 diabetes who are linked with obesity are more likely than others to go at least a couple months between periods, while those with Type 1 diabetes of whom most often show up to have young adulthood problems with acne. Both irregular menstruation and acne can be related to excess male hormones, or androgens.

Higher-than-normal androgen levels may increase the risk of heart disease in women, a condition that also strikes more commonly seen in diabetes. Excess androgens in women with diabetes "could be one reason for why they are at higher risk for heart disease," Dr. Mary Korytkowski, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, said.

Research in the past has shown that women with diabetes are more likely to show a wide range of menstrual irregularities. For instance, studies show that women with Type 1 diabetes appear to be more likely to report having long and heavy periods, and also tend to begin menstruating at a later age and go enter menopause relatively early. In addition, it was also shown that young women who have long or irregular menstrual cycles might have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by middle age.

In Type 2 diabetes, the body no longer responds properly to insulin, the body's key blood sugar-regulating hormone. The researchers have also found that women with Type 1 diabetes were more likely to experience acne than women without that form of the disease, and women with Type 2 diabetes were more likely to report going long stretches without menstruating.

Both acne and long menstrual cycles can be signs of excess androgens in the body, Korytkowski said. It was therefore explained that the possible relationship among diabetes, irregular cycles and excess androgens might come from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder characterized by high levels of male hormones, and a tendency toward obesity, diabetes and male attributes such as excess body hair.

Korytkowski said that some women with Type 2 diabetes might be suffering from the undiagnosed PCOS. The condition might also appear at a higher-than-average rate among women with the Type 1 form of the disease, she noted.

Researchers have shown that PCOS can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the presence of that condition in women with diabetes could be one reason why the blood sugar disorder increases the risk of heart disease, Korytkowski said.

It was further added, however, that this remains as an "emerging area" of research, and more in depth studies are needed to determine the relationship among androgen excess, PCOS, diabetes and heart disease.