Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is something that we see in our office regularly. Sometimes it’s already been diagnosed and other times it has not. While there is diagnostic criteria for PCOS, there is still some debate as to what definitively confirms PCOS.
A study published in Clinical Endocinology suggests that Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) has potential as another way to determine if PCOS is present. They found that AMH was able to correctly identify PCOS 79% of the time.
What does this mean for you? If you suspect that you have PCOS, here is a list of tests that you might ask to have completed:
- Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) – typically costs about $65 and is usually an out of pocket expense (your Ontario ND can order this)
- Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) – this 2 hour test gives a functional value for blood sugar control (PCOS has a 5 fold increase risk of developing diabetes mellitus)
- DHEA-s and Testosterone – high androgen levels are often elevated in PCOS and gives a good measure for treatment success
Yours in Health,
Kerri Fullerton ND & Whitney Young ND