This means that the process of getting the sugar out of the blood and into the cells is defective the cells are resistant to insulin. The pancreas must secrete more and more insulin to get sugar out of the blood and into the cells. The discovery of insulin s role in PCOS has brought hopes for better treatment. If insulin resistance is present, it is best treated with diet, exercise and weight loss if needed. Insulin sensitizing medications may be used as well.
Most physicians prefer to start with diet and exercise and turn to drugs if needed.
Keep in mind that not all women with PCOS have hyperinsulinemia, but the majority do. However many women with PCOS experience difficulty losing weight, possibly due to high insulin levels promoting fat storage. Since high levels of insulin can cause a multitude of problems for women with PCOS, a better diet would be a low glycemic index diet. This is a diet that includes foods or combinations of foods that do not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. The low glycemic diet will be discussed more in detail later in this article.