what causes polycystic ovaries
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Doctors don't know what causes polycystic ovary syndrome, but these factors may play a role: Excess insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows cells to use sugar (glucose) â your body's primary energy supply. If you have insulin resistance, your ability to use insulin effectively is impaired, and your pancreas has to secrete more insulin to make glucose available to cells.