Obesity And Reproductive Health Of Women

Obesity and a woman's reproductive health are linked at the hormonal level. Normalizing weight is a way to solve the problem of endocrine infertility.

Obesity and a woman's reproductive health are linked at the hormonal level. Normalizing weight is a way to solve the problem of endocrine infertility.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. According to the latest WHO estimates, more than 10% of adult inhabitants of the planet have this problem, and their number is growing.

As you know, obesity significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. But the list of pathologies associated with the presence of tens of extra kilograms is wider. In particular, this condition affects the fertility of men and women, and can become an obstacle to conception and bearing a child.

Due to the peculiarities of the body, women are more prone to obesity than men. And in many of them, this is the cause of reproductive health disorders. Against the background of obesity, various disorders of menstrual function occur, the ovulation cycle changes, which eventually leads to endocrine infertility. On the other hand, hormonal disorders that affect reproductive function can contribute to the development of obesity.

How obesity and women's reproductive health are related

Steroids and active estrogens accumulate in excess adipose tissue. This leads to changes in the production of a number of hormones that disrupt the coordination of the neuroendocrine system. We can say that excess adipose tissue becomes an additional gland of internal secretion.

Hormonal imbalance contributes to a change in the processes of adipose tissue metabolism, an increase in the production of insulin by the pancreas, a decrease in the biological effect of insulin, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia.

In turn, dyslipidemia and impaired carbohydrate metabolism inhibit ovarian function. As a result, anovulation, anovulatory disorders of the menstrual cycle and infertility develop.

Gynecological syndromes associated with obesity

In gynecological endocrinology, a number of syndromes are associated with obesity, including:

• neuroendocrine syndrome of puberty. Anovulation, irregular menstrual cycle, hypertrichosis, hypertension, hyperglycemia, increased production of cortisol and prolactin hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone are observed against the background of progressive weight gain.
• polycystic ovary syndrome. According to various estimates, 30-60% of women with this syndrome suffer from obesity. The appearance of excess body weight in the prepubertal and pubertal period is considered an independent risk factor for the development of polycystic ovary syndrome. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and changes in steroidogenesis in obesity are indirectly related to hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, chronic anovulation, oligo-, amenorrhea, infertility - symptoms of this syndrome.
• postpartum neurometabolic-endocrine syndrome. Precursors of the syndrome are dysfunctions of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adipose tissue. The disease affects the hormonal function of the ovaries and adrenal glands and is manifested by a violation of the menstrual cycle and rapid weight gain.
• menopausal metabolic syndrome. After menopause, 60% of women gain weight by 2.5-5 kg ​​or more. Due to an imbalance of hormones, obese women already suffer from hot flashes at the age of 40-44, and in the future, their risk of developing endometrial adenocarcinoma increases.

As you can see, most of the syndromes associated with obesity are directly related to a woman's reproductive health.

Obesity and pregnancy

Obesity can also develop during pregnancy, especially if the woman was already overweight at the time of its onset.

Complications of obesity during pregnancy can include miscarriage, late gestosis, weakness of labor, injuries to the mother and child during childbirth.

The more pronounced the degree of obesity, the higher the risk of reproductive health disorders. In the treatment of most diseases that are accompanied by obesity, the first stage is the normalization of body weight.