The 20-minute blood test gives hope to women who may have polycystic ovarian syndrome β a debilitating condition that causes fertility problems, obesity or even facial hair growth and often takes YEARS to diagnose
A blood test that produces results in 20 minutes could speed up and simplify the diagnosis of a leading cause of female infertility, facial hair growth and weight gain.
The test detects polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, a condition that affects around one in 10 women of childbearing age in Britain. It leads to heavy or irregular periods, acne and problems becoming pregnant, but also to obesity and facial hair growth.
PCOS occurs when the ovaries, two glands that store a woman’s eggs and produce hormones to control menstruation and pregnancy, begin to release excess androgens; these are ‘male’ hormones such as testosterone, which the female body also produces in small quantities.
It’s not known why this happens (although PCOS may run in families), but the excess androgen disrupts menstruation and causes other symptoms, such as hair growth on the face, chest and abdomen.
The androgens also cause the development of dozens of small cyst-like growths on the surface of the ovaries. The cysts are filled with immature eggs that are not released due to hormonal disruption. This leads to reduced ovulation and fertility problems (about a third of infertility cases in women are related to PCOS).
The condition is incurable and every treatment is aimed at combating the symptoms.
The blood test involves taking a sample from the arm – much less invasive than the vaginal scans that women have had to undergo until now
Early diagnosis is essential because PCOS is also linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, as it affects the body’s ability to use insulin β the hormone that helps clear sugar from the blood.
However, research shows that about a third of women with PCOS wait two years or more for a diagnosis.
The condition is usually diagnosed based on symptoms and then patients are referred to the hospital for an ultrasound, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina and moved around to reflect sound waves off the surface of the ovaries.
These sound waves are then converted into a computer image to identify any growths. However, many women find this control intrusive, uncomfortable and uncomfortable. The new test, which was approved in Britain last week to check for PCOS, could dramatically shorten diagnosis times.
It’s called the Elecsys Anti-MΓΌllerian Hormone Plus test β or AMH Plus β and is already used by the NHS to measure female fertility.
Anti-mΓΌllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by cells in the ovaries; higher levels normally indicate that a woman has a healthy number of eggs.
But AMH can also be produced by the cyst-like growths that form on the ovaries in PCOS. Now the test is being rolled out to GPs in an attempt to improve the early detection of the condition.
Developed by Roche Diagnostics, it involves taking a small sample of blood from a vein in the arm.
The sample is then sent to a laboratory to check AMH levels in a test that takes just 18 minutes, with patients receiving results the next day.
Adam Balen, a leading expert on PCOS and professor of reproductive medicine and surgery at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the new test could be a simpler alternative to vaginal scans for many women.
‘I welcome any new test that can help quickly diagnose PCOS; it is a common condition that causes a lot of suffering,β he says.