Insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance. There are also defect's in pancreatic a beta-cell function in affected women. These abnormalities are heritable. There are post-binding defects in insulin receptor signaling, with selective resistance to insulin's metabolic actions and constitutively activated mitogenic signaling, in skeletal muscle. Intrinsic and environmental abnormalities interact to produce peripheral insulin: resistance in PCOS. A susceptibility gene region for PCOS is located on chromosome 19p13.2: The susceptibility allele is also associated with a metabolic phenotype.