Does how much money you make and how educated you are have anything to do with polycystic ovary syndrome and lack of ovulation?That’s an interesting question that was investigated by a team at the University of Palermo in Italy, in a study of 244 women with PCOS.Surprisingly, 43% of the high income women appeared to be ovulating while only 21% of the low to medium income group were able to do so. Lower family income was also associated with higher body weight, waist circumference, insulin, and insulin resistance.The amount of education was even more startling. In those PCOS women with low education, only 12% were ovulatory PCOS compared with 47% of the individuals with high education status.So, working on insulin resistance and getting your weight in a healthy range is absolutely vital for supporting ovulation. I believe the reason that women who are on a lower income and not as highly educated have a lower ovulation rate is because they suffer from higher stress levels. There is plenty of research out there that shows the negative effect of stress on fertility. I want you to work really hard at reducing stress – why not try walking after dinner, talking to friends to express your troubles, have a relaxing cup of my Rejuvenation Tea or get a DVD of yoga and practice at home. These are all economical ways of reducing the negative effects of stress on your fertility.Influence of sociocultural factors on the ovulatory status of polycystic ovary syndrome.Di Fede G, Mansueto P, Longo RA, Rini G, Carmina E.Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of social and cultural differences inside the same ethnic group on the ovulatory status of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: To correlate social and cultural status with the phenotypic expression (body weight and ovulation) and with androgen and insulin levels of PCOS. SETTING: University department of medicine. PATIENT(S): Two hundred and forty-four consecutive PCOS women. INTERVENTION(S): All studied patients completed a simple questionnaire to indicate their mean family income and their school education. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ovulation was assessed by measurement of serum progesterone on day 22 of a spontaneous or induced menstrual cycle. Levels of blood testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, insulin, and blood glucose were evaluated. RESULT(S): In the low to medium income group, 21% of patients had ovulatory PCOS, but the prevalence of the same PCOS phenotype was 43% in patients with high income. In patients with low education, only 12% presented with ovulatory PCOS compared with 47% of the patients with high education status. Mean family income negatively correlated with body mass index, waist circumference, insulin, and insulin resistance. Serum progesterone correlated negatively with insulin and insulin resistance. CONCLUSION(S): In an ethnically homogeneous PCOS population, high socioeconomic status was associated with a higher prevalence of the ovulatory phenotype. Differences in ovulatory status between the social classes seem to be related to differences in insulin levels and fat quantity and distribution.Fertil Steril. 2009 May; 91(5):1853-6.PMID: 18455164