By Sameer Hussain

Srinagar- Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura on Saturday launched a monthly initiative to share its latest research findings with the public - a platform aimed at translating scientific outcomes into better patient care and local health awareness.

Speaking during the inaugural session, Director SKIMS Prof. Mohammad Ashraf Ganie - who also led the country's largest and most comprehensive study on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - clarified that the presence of cysts on an ultrasound alone should not be mistaken for a PCOS diagnosis.

“Prevalence of ovarian cysts in girls up to 18 years of age is a normal phenomenon. It is part of the maturation of the reproductive axis,” Prof. Ganie explained.“Ultrasound findings showing cysts should not alarm patients or families. Many girls and even adult women may have cysts that carry no clinical significance.”

He urged both doctors and the public to refrain from repeated ultrasounds in young girls, emphasizing that“mere presence of cysts is not PCOS, and vice versa - absence of cysts does not rule it out.”

“PCOS is diagnosed only when a woman has multiple symptoms together - irregular menstrual cycles, signs of metabolic dysfunction such as high insulin levels, or other hormonal abnormalities,” he said.“That's why SKIMS has set up a multidisciplinary PCOS clinic with different specialists to study and manage the condition comprehensively.”

During the“Research Dissemination Meet”, he discussed SKIMS' leadership in the ICMR-PCOS Task Force study, recently published in JAMA Open Network, which assessed 9824 women aged 18–40 years across 18 premier medical institutions in India.

Prof Ganie revealed that nearly one in five women in India is affected by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

The study found alarming metabolic risks among women with PCOS - 43.2% were at risk of obesity, 91.9% for dyslipidemia, and nearly one in three for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

MENAFN01112025000215011059ID1110280910