The effect of diet on blood glucose in women with PCOS (Version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Reactive hypoglycaemia in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): the affect of a low-GI diet on blood glucose and behaviour.
IRAS ID
27665
Contact name
Paul J Hardiman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL
Research summary
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women (Ledger & Clark, 2003). As well as the classical symptoms of menstrual irregularity and testosterone excess, many women with PCOS report symptoms which they attribute to low blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose (i.e. low blood sugar) is called 'hypoglycaemia', and is possibly related to insulin resistance and affected by diet (Brand-Miller, Farid, & Marsh, 2004).
Until recently little was known about hypoglycaemia in PCOS. However today we know that women with PCOS are roughly five times more likely to suffer from this condition than other women (Altuntas, Bilir, Ucak, & Gundogdu, 2005; Kasim-Karakas, Cunningham, & Tsodikov, 2007; Sorensen & Johansen, 2010). Another study found that women with PCOS experience distressing psychological symptoms typical of hypoglycaemia significantly more than other women (Barry, Bouloux and Hardiman, 2011).
Recent research has found that a low glycemic index (GI) diet helped moderately overweight women with PCOS in terms of insulin resistance, menstruation, and emotional quality of life (Marsh, Steinbeck, Atkinson, Petocz & Brand-Miller, 2010). However no study to date has assessed the degree to which low blood glucose levels are directly related to psychological distress in PCOS, nor examined the role of dietary factors in this regard. The proposed study will address these issues, which are important not least because hypoglycaemia may be related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0652
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion