Kashmir among hardest hit as India faces ‘Silent Tsunami’ of PCOS cases

Srinagar, Nov 1: India is facing a silent but staggering epidemic — one that affects millions of women and has long been misunderstood. A landmark national study has revealed that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects nearly 44 million women across the country, making India the global epicentre of this hormonal and metabolic disorder.

The findings were shared during a dissemination programme at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) on Friday, organised to raise public awareness about PCOS. The event was attended by media professionals and health experts who discussed the urgent need for policy attention to what is fast becoming India’s most widespread women’s health challenge.

Professor Ashraf Ganie, Director SKIMS, Ex-Officio Secretary to Government, and Principal Investigator of the Indian Council of Medical Research-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (ICMR-PCOS) study, said the condition had long been ignored and oversimplified.

“PCOS was trivialised as a cosmetic issue — irregular periods, unwanted hair, a fertility hurdle at most,” Professor Ganie said. “But our findings make it absolutely clear — PCOS is the biggest health crisis confronting women in India today.”

The ICMR-PCOS study, conducted from 2018 to 2022 and published last month in JAMA Network Open, covered nearly 10,000 women across India. It found that one in five women of reproductive age (18–40 years) suffers from PCOS, with a national prevalence of 19.6 per cent under the Rotterdam 2003 criteria — the highest reported globally.

Professor Ganie said the study exposes the depth of the crisis: among 1,224 diagnosed women, 91.9 per cent had dyslipidaemia (abnormal blood fats), 43.2 per cent were obese, and 32.9 per cent had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Nearly one in four (24.9 per cent) met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, while 9.1 per cent had impaired glucose tolerance, 3.3 per cent were diabetic, and 8.3 per cent suffered from hypertension.

“PCOS is not an isolated hormonal glitch, but a metabolic Pandora’s box,” he said, warning that the condition increases lifetime risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver damage, and even transgenerational effects on offspring.

The data also revealed sharp regional disparities. Kashmir, along with Delhi, Chandigarh and other northern regions, recorded more than double the national average, with prevalence climbing to 26.4 per cent under Rotterdam criteria. A related study from Kashmir placed the figure even higher at 35.3 per cent, based on a survey of 3,300 women.

Experts at the SKIMS event emphasised the urgent need to improve public understanding and medical response to PCOS. “Together, we can turn the tide on PCOS and make a difference in the lives of women who suffer — and suffer silently,” Professor Ganie said.