Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Mar;7(2):e00477.
doi: 10.1002/edm2.477.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Is There a Common Pathway?

Marzieh Saei Ghare Naz  1 , Vida Ghasemi  2 , Shabahang Amirshekari  1 , Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Is There a Common Pathway?

Marzieh Saei Ghare Naz et al. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about how polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to review the existing literature regarding the association between PCOS or its symptoms and complications with IBS.

Methods: In this review, studies that investigated the proposed cross-link between features of PCOS and IBS were included. This review collectively focused on recent findings on the mechanism and novel insight regarding the association between IBS and PCOS in future clinical practice. An electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, Epistemonikos, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar was performed. We did not restrict the study setting and publication date.

Results: The existing evidence has not completely answered the question of whether there is an association between PCOS and IBS and vice versa. Six case-control studies (793 women with PCOS and 547 women in the control group) directly assessed the association between PCOS and IBS. The prevalence of IBS among women with PCOS in these studies has ranged from 10% to 52% compared with 5%-50% in control groups. Evidence suggested the common pathways may have contributed to the interaction between IBS and PCOS, including metabolic syndrome, sex hormone fluctuation, dysregulation of neurotransmitters, psychological problems and environmental and lifestyle factors. To date, it is still ambiguous which of the mentioned components largely contributes to the pathogenesis of both.

Conclusion: Although limited evidence has shown a higher prevalence of IBS in women with PCOS, there are several potential, direct and common indirect pathways contributing to the development of both IBS and PCOS.

Keywords: irritable bowel syndrome; metabolic syndrome; polycystic ovary syndrome; review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of included studies.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Cross‐link between IBS and PCOS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Wolf W. M., Wattick R. A., Kinkade O. N., and Olfert M. D., “Geographical Prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome as Determined by Region and Race/Ethnicity,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 11 (2018): 2589. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Teede H. J., Misso M. L., Costello M. F., et al., “Recommendations from the International Evidence‐Based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome,” Human Reproduction 33, no. 9 (2018): 1602–1618. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gilbert E. W. and Tay C. T., “Comorbidities and Complications of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: An Overview of Systematic Reviews,” Clinical Endocrinology 89, no. 6 (2018): 683–699. - PubMed
    1. Palomba S., Santagni S., Falbo A., and La Sala G. B., “Complications and Challenges Associated With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Perspectives,” International Journal of Women's Health 7 (2015): 745. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parker J., O'Brien C., and Hawrelak J., “A Narrative Review of the Role of Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis in the Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome,” Obstetrics & Gynecology Science 65, no. 1 (2022): 14–28. - PMC - PubMed