Response to synacthen test in women with PCOS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do women with PCOS have an abnormal adrenal response during a short synacthen test?
IRAS ID
178962
Contact name
W. Colin Duncan
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 4 days
Research summary
Do women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have an abnormal adrenal response during a short synacthen test?
This study is part of a SCC4 project, a component of the Medical curriculum at the University of Edinburgh. This costs of this study are being funded by a charity fund, The Barbour Watson Trust.
PCOS is a very common condition, affecting approximately 8% of women in the UK and is defined as the presence of high levels of “male steroid hormones” (called androgens) in the body, they are associated with follicular 'cysts' in the ovaries as they do not release eggs regularly. This can lead to infertility, weight gain, excessive hair growth, acne and is associated with an increased risk of health problems in later life, such as high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. It runs in families and several genetic causes have been identified recently, but there are also environmental factors which contribute to the development and progression of this condition, such as diet and obesity.
The high levels of androgen in PCOS are thought to be produced by the ovaries, however the adrenal glands are also a known source of these steroids in health. The adrenal glands are organs which produce steroids and their response can be monitored by performing a ‘short synacthen test’. This common clinical test takes 30 minutes to complete. It involves injection of a hormone called ‘synacthen’ into the patient’s vein and measuring the adrenal response by collecting blood samples to measure steroid levels in the blood at 0, 15 and 30 minutes. This study would include women with PCOS identified from clinics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, as well as healthy, BMI and age matched controls.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0445
Date of REC Opinion
26 May 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion