Use of metformin for women with polycystic ovary syndrome†
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 15% of women of reproductive age and is characterized by hyperandrogenism, menstrual disturbance, anovulatory infertility and obesity. A large body of evidence has indicated that increased insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia play a key role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. At least 40% of women with PCOS are obese and are more insulin resistant than weight-matched individuals with normal ovaries. Obesity, and particularly abdominal obesity as indicated by an increased waist:hip ratio, is correlated with reduced fecundity, menstrual disorders and hyperinsulinaemia. Metformin, an oral anti-diabetic, reduces serum insulin concentrations and improve the symptoms of PCOS. The aim of this systematic review (Tang et al., 2012) is to ascertain the effectiveness of metformin in improving reproductive outcomes in women with PCOS. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and EMBASE were searched up to October 2011 for randomized trials compared metformin with placebo or no treatment for women with PCOS. The outcomes include ovulation (not discussed here), clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Pooled relative risks (RRs) were calculated using a random effects model.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Increased expression of circulating miRNA-93 in women with polycystic ovary syndrome may represent a novel, non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis
- Identification of key genes associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and ovarian cancer using an integrated bioinformatics analysis
- Identification of key pathways and genes in polycystic ovary syndrome via integrated bioinformatics analysis and prediction of small therapeutic molecules
- Regulation of Androgen Receptor Expression Alters AMPK Phosphorylation in the Endometrium: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Effect of oral administration of low-dose follicle stimulating hormone on hyperandrogenized mice as a model of polycystic ovary syndrome
- Systems pharmacology to investigate the interaction of berberine and other drugs in treating polycystic ovary syndrome
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.