HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS) IN YOUNG WOMEN: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders "affecting young women, characterized by" hormonal imbalance" involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary (HPO) axis, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance. "Findings reveal that "PCOS is not only a reproductive disorder but also a systemic condition with long-term risks," including "type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, infertility, and psychological" disorders. Management strategies encompass lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions such as oral contraceptives and insulin sensitizers, and complementary therapies including yoga and nutraceuticals. Despite extensive research, uncertainties remain regarding adolescent diagnosis, long-term outcomes, and personalized therapeutic approaches. Addressing these gaps is crucial to enhance early detection, comprehensive management, "and quality of life among affected young women. Objectives: The purpose of this review is to provide "a comprehensive analysis" of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" as a disorder of "hormonalimbalance" in young women. It aims to describe the prevalence, causes, and pathophysiology of PCOS, examine its clinical manifestations and diagnostic frameworks, evaluate management strategies, and assess its long-term complications. The paper also highlights research gaps and proposes future directions for improving diagnosis and treatment in adolescent girls, who represent a particularly vulnerable group. Methods: This review adopts a narrative approach to synthesizing evidence from secondary sources. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for articles" using keywords such as PCOS, hormonal imbalance, adolescent PCOS, diagnosis of PCOS, and management of PCOS. Inclusion criteria required that studies be peer-reviewed, published between 2015 and 2025, written in English, and specifically address PCOS in young women. Exclusion criteria were non-peer-reviewed sources, studies unrelated to PCOS, and articles not available in English. Approximately sixty relevant studies, including original research, systematic reviews, and clinical guidelines, were selected and analyzed for this review. Results: My study shows that "Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is "highly prevalent, affecting between 5 and 20 percent of women worldwide, with particularly high rates in South Asia. The pathophysiology of PCOS is rooted in hormonal imbalance involving HPO axis dysfunction, insulin resistance, and hyperandrogenism. "Clinical manifestations include menstrual irregularities," infertility, dermatological problems such as acne and hirsutism, obesity, and significant psychological distress. The criteria used in diagnosis varies, the most commonly used being the Rotterdam criteria which is criticized as over-diagnosing in adolescents. The approaches to management focus on lifestyle change, which is reinforced by pharmacological interventions, including" oral contraceptives, anti-androgens, and insulin" sensitizers, and complementary methods. The effects of this condition in the long term include infertility, "diabetes, cardiovascular disease, endometrial cancer and mental health" complications, which underlines" the importance of early intervention. Conclusion: PCOS is a heterogenous multi-factorial endocrine dysfunction with multifactorial reproductive, metabolic, and psychological implications in young women. The pathophysiology of the condition is based on hormonal imbalance in the HPO axis, excess of androgens, and insulin resistance, and in clinical terms menstrual dysfunction, infertility, obesity, hirsutism, and mood disorders can be observed. Adolescent diagnosis is especially problematic because it is mixed with pubertal physiology. There is no universal cure, but lifestyle interventions are the first line with pharmacological and complementary therapy as the supportive approaches. Long-term complications, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, endometrial carcinoma, explain why prompt diagnosis and prophylaxis are an emergency. Additional research is required, in respect of how to enhance the adolescent-specific diagnostic criteria, integrate genetic and epigenetic data, take the psychosocial factor into account, and how to elaborate personalized treatment schemes.