The Endocrine Society It now seems that women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more vulnerable to Bisphenol A (BPA). In a major breakthrough, scientists discovered higher Bisphenol A (BPA) levels in women suffering from PCOS. A statistically significant link between male sex hormones and BPA in such women was apparently unfolded.

In order to conduct the study, 71 women with PCOS and 100 healthy female control subjects were divided into subgroups matched by age and body composition. Blood levels of BPA were 60 percent higher in women with PCOS and 30 percent greater in obese women with the syndrome as compared to controls. As BPA levels heightened, concentrations of the male sex hormone testosterone and androstenedion supposedly converted into testosterone.

Excessive secretion of androgens, as witnessed in PCOS supposedly interferes with BPA detoxification by the liver. Such a process can presumably pave way for accumulation of BPA blood levels. Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, MD, PhD, study co-author and professor at the University of Athens Medical School in Greece and colleagues believe that BPA is extremely harmful for women with hormonal and fertility imbalances like those found in PCOS.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).