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Effect of Exercise on Telomeres in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women that is primarily characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction but that is also often associated with other severe symptoms such as dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, abnormal glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance. ¹

Many studies, some of them recently published in Reproductive Sciences, ^{2 –7} have focused on better understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the disease in order to develop new strategies to overcome the disorder.

However, it has recently become apparent that a simple remedy of regular physical activity, consisting of mostly aerobic exercises of moderate to high intensity, is able to at least partially relieve the metabolic complications of PCOs, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while also improving the ovulatory function and increasing the pregnancy outcomes in these patients. ⁸ The combination of resistance training and aerobic exercises has also been reported to improve health in high-risk groups for cardiovascular disease; however, the effects of these have never been specifically studied for PCOS.

Interestingly, a relationship between physical exercise and telomere biology has been suggested, while several studies have also reported that telomere shortening and human disease are intrinsically connected. ⁹

With these facts in mind, Miranda-Furtado and colleagues aimed to investigate the changes induced by progressive resistance training (PRT) in telomere content and metabolic disorder symptoms in women with PCOS. ¹⁰

The authors followed 45 women with PCOS and 52 healthy women, aged 18 to 37 years old, comparing physical characteristics, hormonal concentrations, and telomere length before and after a regimen of PRT. Their results showed that PRT reduced waist circumference, body fat percentage, plasma testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin concentrations, glycemia, and free androgen index. The authors also observed that fasting insulin and the insulin resistance index were greater in women with PCOS but that both were reduced after PRT. In addition, Miranda-Furtado and colleagues observed that androstenedione and homocysteine increased after PRT, while there were no differences in telomere content between women with PCOS and controls. After adjusted analysis, the results evidenced telomere shortening after PRT in all women followed. Finally, the authors noted that increased homocysteine levels were related to telomere reduction and increased androstenedione was positively correlated with telomere content after PRT in women with PCOS.

Thus, the work undertaken by Miranda-Furtado et al suggests that PRT exerts positive effects on the hormonal and physical symptoms of PCOS in patients as well as in controls. On the other hand, the results presented indicate that homocysteine levels are increased and telomere lengths are reduced after PRT in both patients with PCOS and controls. Given these observations, Miranda-Furtado and colleagues propose that resistance exercise should be practiced with caution in both women with and without PCOS.