Thank you for your interest in our ad seeking volunteers for our study to better understand Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). We are seeking women with PCOS who are either normal weight (BMI 18-25) or overweight (BMI 30-40) and have infrequent periods. Below is more information about the study followed by an electronic link to complete a confidential questionnaire. If you are interested, please complete the questionnaire as the first step in the screening process.
A volunteer will initially have a screening visit to confirm study eligibility by having a complete physical examination, a vaginal ultrasound to evaluate the ovaries and a glucose tolerance test to check for diabetes. During the glucose tolerance test, a participant will drink a glucose (sugar) beverage, and blood will be drawn 5 times over 3 hours from a catheter placed in an arm vein.
If eligibility is confirmed, participants will undergo 3 tests before and after 12 weeks of receiving either a sugar pill or an aspirin-like medication aimed at reducing inflammation in the body.
The first test will be a human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) stimulation test to stimulate ovarian hormones. During the test, a participant will be given an intramuscular injection of HCG and blood will be drawn just before the injection, then 1, 2, and 4 days later. Body fat will also be assessed during the same time frame by also having a DEXA scan and an MRI of the abdomen.
The second test is a cream challenge test to evaluate inflammation in the body. During the test, a participant will drink some dairy cream, and blood will be drawn 4 times over 5 hours from a catheter placed in an arm vein.
The third test will be an intravenous tolerance test to measure the degree of insulin resistance and to again evaluate inflammation in the body. During the test small amounts of blood will be drawn frequently from a catheter placed in an arm vein while receiving glucose (sugar) and insulin along with several other medications through an IV.
Initial study eligibility will be determined by your answers to the questions in the confidential questionnaire regarding your gynecologic and medical history, as well as the results of any previous hormone tests. If hormone tests are not available, they will be measured from blood drawn during the initial screening visit.
Please understand that should you choose not to answer these questions that your current and future care at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health System will not be affected by whether or not you participate. Specifically, your care will not be jeopardized if you choose not to answer the questions.Please click on the link below to access the confidential questionnaire:
Thank you for expressing interest in participating in our research study. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing back from you!
Sincerely,
PCOS Study Phone: (312) 996-6675 | PCOS Study Email:pcos_study@uic.edu