Project description:ObjectiveAs part of the update of the International Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a systematic review was performed to inform evidence-based recommendations.DesignSystematic review. Only randomised controlled trial were included.PatientsWomen with PCOS; the use of combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP) was compared with no medical treatment.MeasurementsOutcomes were designed in collaboration with clinical experts, researchers, and consumers. Critical outcomes included hirsutism, irregular cycles, quality of life, body mass index (BMI), and weight.Results1660 publications were identified, but only four studies were included. No studies could be combined for meta-analysis. COCP treatment improved cycle regularity compared with no medical treatment (100% vs. 0%, with low certainty of evidence). COCP showed no difference in improvement of hirsutism or BMI compared with placebo or lifestyle; a lower weight after COCP compared with no treatment (mean difference [MD] -8.0 (95% confidence interval, CI -11.67); -4.33 kg); and improvement in quality of life (MD 1.2 [95% CI 0.96]; 1.44), but these results were all very low certainty of evidence.ConclusionResults show that COCP benefit cycle regulation, but other benefits or potential adverse effects were only identified with very low certainty of evidence. The COCP is frontline medical treatment in PCOS, but this is still based on established efficacy in the broader general population. Our results show that research in PCOS is seriously lacking and should be prioritised to capture core reproductive, metabolic and psychological outcomes important in PCOS.
Project description:ObjectiveMany women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) experience infertility and hirsutism and often seek treatment for both concurrently. We investigated whether women who ovulate in response to treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, or both would have greater improvement in hirsutism compared with those who did not ovulate.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis evaluating the change in Ferriman-Gallwey score for the hirsute women (n=505 [80.7%]) from the Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome I study. This was a prospective, randomized, doubled-blind trial of 626 women with PCOS and infertility recruited from 12 university sites. They were treated with clomiphene citrate, metformin, or both (combination) for up to six cycles, and hirsutism evaluators were blinded to group assignment.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in the Ferriman-Gallwey score between baseline and completion of the study in each of the three individual groups (clomiphene citrate, P=.024; metformin, P=.005; combination, P<.001). There was no significant difference in the degree to which the hirsutism score changed when comparing the three groups (P=.44). The change in hirsutism was not associated with the duration of treatment or with the presence or absence of ovulation.ConclusionIn infertile hirsute women with PCOS, treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, or both for up to six cycles does not alter hirsutism.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00068861.Level of evidenceII.
Project description:The combined oral contraceptive pill is an effective contraceptive method which can also offer other benefits. However, other contraceptive options should be discussed. If the pill is the chosen method, prescribe a pill with the lowest effective dose of oestrogen and progestogen. Pills containing levonorgestrel or norethisterone in combination with ethinyloestradiol 35 microgram or less are considered first-line. They are effective if taken correctly, have a relatively low risk of venous thromboembolism, and are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The pill is usually taken in a monthly cycle. Some women may prefer an extended pill regimen with fewer or no inactive pills.
Project description:In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 19 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomized to a 3-month course of either metformin plus combined hormonal oral contraceptive (OC) (n = 9) or OC plus matched placebo (n = 10). After 3 months, both treatments had similar effects on androgen levels, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and serum inflammatory markers, but flow-mediated dilatation increased by 69.0% in the metformin plus OC group while it remained unchanged in the OC group. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: NCT00682890.
Project description:ObjectiveTo study the associations between maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hirsutism with offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, conduct disorder, and behavioral problems.DesignProspective birth cohort study.SettingNot applicable.Patient(s)A total of 1,915 mother-child dyads.Intervention(s)None.Main outcome measure(s)Maternal report of offspring ADHD, anxiety, or conduct disorder diagnosis at 7 to 8 years; emotional symptoms, behavioral problems (including peer relationship, conduct, hyperactivity/inattention), and prosocial problems measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 7 years.Result(s)Prevalence of PCOS and hirsutism were 12.0% and 3.9%; 84% of women with hirsutism had PCOS. After adjustment for sociodemographic covariates, prepregnancy body mass index, and parental history of affective disorders, children born to mothers with PCOS had higher risk of anxiety (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.57) and borderline emotional symptoms (aRR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.18-2.33) compared with children born to mothers without PCOS. The associations between maternal PCOS and offspring ADHD were positive but imprecise. Maternal hirsutism was related to a higher risk of children's ADHD (aRR 2.33; 95% CI, 1.28-4.24), conduct disorder (aRR 2.54; 95% CI 1.18-5.47), borderline emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, and conduct problems (aRRs 2.61; 95% CI, 1.69-4.05; 1.92; 95% CI, 1.16-3.17; and 2.22; 95% CI, 1.30-3.79, respectively).Conclusion(s)Maternal PCOS was associated with offspring anxiety, and hirsutism was related to other offspring behavioral problems. These findings should be interpreted with caution as replication is needed in prospective cohort studies that assess PCOS and hirsutism diagnoses using medical records.
Project description:ContextThere is no standardized assay of testosterone in women. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has been proposed as the preferable assay by an Endocrine Society Position Statement.ObjectiveThe aim was to compare assay results from a direct RIA with two LC/MS.Design and settingWe conducted a blinded laboratory study including masked duplicate samples at three laboratories--two academic (University of Virginia, RIA; and Mayo Clinic, LC/MS) and one commercial (Quest, LC/MS).Participants and interventionsBaseline testosterone levels from 596 women with PCOS who participated in a large, multicenter, randomized controlled infertility trial performed at academic health centers in the United States were run by varying assays, and results were compared.Main outcome measureWe measured assay precision and correlation and baseline Ferriman-Gallwey hirsutism scores.ResultsMedian testosterone levels were highest with RIA. The correlations between the blinded samples that were run in duplicate were comparable. The correlation coefficient (CC) between LC/MS at Quest and Mayo was 0.83 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80-0.85], between RIA and LC/MS at Mayo was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.76-0.82), and between RIA and LC/MS at Quest was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.63-0.72). Interassay variation was highest at the lower levels of total testosterone (≤50 ng/dl). The CC for Quest LC/MS was significantly different from those derived from the other assays. We found similar correlations between total testosterone levels and hirsutism score with the RIA (CC=0.24), LC/MS at Mayo (CC=0.15), or Quest (CC=0.17).ConclusionsA testosterone RIA is comparable to LC/MS assays. There is significant variability between LC/MS assays and poor precision with all assays at low testosterone levels.
Project description:BackgroundObesity and insulin resistance (IR) are common features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin (MET) increases insulin sensitivity, but it is associated with unsatisfactory weight loss. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exenatide has been shown to reduce weight and IR in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of exenatide once-weekly (QW) combined with MET on body weight, as well as metabolic and endocrinological parameters in overweight/obese women with PCOS.MethodsFifty overweight/obese women with PCOS diagnosed via the Rotterdam criteria were randomized to one of two treatment groups: MET (500 mg three times a day [TID]) or combination treatment (COM) (MET 500 mg TID, exenatide 2 mg QW) for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were anthropometric changes associated with obesity, and the secondary outcomes included changes in reproductive hormone levels, glucose and lipid metabolism, and C-reactive protein.ResultsForty (80%) patients completed the study. COM therapy was superior to MET monotherapy in reducing weight (P = 0.045), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.041), and waist circumference (P = 0.023). Patients in the COM group on an average lost 3.8 ± 2.4 kg compared with 2.1 ± 3.0 kg in the MET group. In the COM group, BMI and waist circumference decreased by 1.4 ± 0.87 kg/m2 and 4.63 ± 4.42 cm compared with 0.77 ± 1.17 kg/m2 and 1.72 ± 3.07 cm in the MET group, respectively. Moreover, levels of fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2-h glucose, and OGTT 2-h insulin were significantly lower with COM therapy than with MET (P < 0.050). Mild and moderate gastrointestinal reactions were the most common adverse events in both groups.ConclusionsCOM therapy was more effective than MET alone in reducing body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and improving insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese women with PCOS, with acceptable short-term side effects.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04029272. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04029272.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5%-15% of women and is the most common cause of hirsutism. Data on the time-course of improvement to suppressive therapy and predictors of that response in PCOS are lacking. The objectives of our study are to determine the long-term response and identify predictors of response in PCOS women treated with suppressive therapy, including spironolactone (SPL) + oral contraceptives (OCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 200 women with PCOS (1990 NIH criteria) treated with suppressive therapy in general, and a subgroup of 138 subjects treated with OCP+SPL who had been prospectively included in a biorepository. Main outcome measure included improvement rate per 100 person-month of follow-up for hirsutism, menstrual irregularity and acne measured qualitatively as "feeling better", and changes in the severity of hirsutism quantified by modified Ferriman-Gallwey [mF-G] score. RESULTS:During a mean follow-up of 34.2 months, 85.1%, 82.7%, and 79.3% of patients reported improvement in hirsutism, menstrual dysfunction, and acne, respectively. The modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) hirsutism score improved by 59.9%. The net reduction in mF-G score and the percent of patients reporting improvement in hirsutism were greater for OC+SPL than for either drug alone, with no difference in the percent of patients free of adverse effects. Among those treated with OC+SPL (n?=?138), the initial mF-G and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) independently predicted successful therapy for hirsutism. CONCLUSION:There is a high rate of patient satisfaction with suppressive therapy in PCOS. The efficacy of suppressive therapy for hirsutism was greater with OC+SPL than with either drug alone. Successful treatment of hirsutism with combination OC+SPL requires at least 6 months of therapy, with the proportion of satisfied patients continuing to increase with treatment duration. The probability of patient satisfaction with OC+SPL treatment for hirsutism can be predicted by her initial mF-G score or SHBG level.
Project description:IntroductionMany patients who were diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome- (PCOS-) related acne were not capable of sustaining or beginning oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) due to pill scaring, contraindications of OCP use, migraine, or smoking. In this situation, oral isotretinoin treatment may become an important option for PCOS-related acne. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of isotretinoin treatment on PCOS patients who were complicated with severe cystic acne.Materials and methodsThis study consisted of 40 female patients diagnosed as PCOS complicated with severe cystic acne. These patients were not eligible candidates for OCP use due to migraine, thrombophilia, heavy smoking, or pill scare. To establish baseline values of hormone levels, on days 2-5 of the menstrual cycle, venous blood samples were obtained. Moreover Modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) score, acne score (AS), follicle count, and bilateral ovarian volumes were evaluated both before and after isotretinoin treatment.ResultsIsotretinoin treatment significantly decreased Ferriman-Gallwey score, free testosterone, insulin level, hemoglobin level, acne score, and ovarian volume. Increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels were detected after treatment.ConclusionIsotretinoin treatment may have beneficial effects on free testosterone, insulin, acne score, and Ferriman-Gallwey score. Solely isotretinoin administration may supply adequate healing in PCOS patients' symptoms complicated with severe cystic acne who is not eligible candidates for OCP use. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02855138.
Project description:At rest, brain activity can be characterized not by an absence of organized activity but instead by spatially and temporally correlated patterns of activity. In this experiment, we investigated whether and to what extent resting state functional connectivity is modulated by sex hormones in women, both across the menstrual cycle and when altered by oral contraceptive pills. Sex hormones have been shown to have important effects on task-related activity, but few studies have investigated the extent to which they can influence the behavior of functional networks at rest. These hormones are dramatically altered by the use of hormonal contraception, which is used by approximately 100 million women worldwide. However, potential cognitive side effects of hormonal contraception have been given little attention. Here, we collected resting state data for naturally-cycling women (n=45) and women using combined oral contraceptive pills (n=46) and evaluated the differences in resting state activity between these two groups using independent component analysis. We found that in the default mode network and in a network associated with executive control, resting state dynamics were altered both by the menstrual cycle and by oral contraceptive use. Specifically, the connectivity of the left angular gyrus, the left middle frontal gyrus, and the anterior cingulate cortex were different between groups. Because the anterior cingulate cortex and left middle frontal gyrus are important for higher-order cognitive and emotional processing, including conflict monitoring, changes in the relationship of these structures to the functional networks with which they interact may have important consequences for attention, affect, and/or emotion regulation.