Metformin and Oral Contraceptives in PCOS

Summary

Background: PCOS is a common condition with a prevalence of 5-8 % in premenopausal women. More than 50% of PCOS patients are insulin resistant and have a diabetes risk 5-8 times higher than age- and weight-matched controls. Studies using insulin sensitizers in PCOS found increased insulin sensitivity and decreased insulin levels to be followed by decreased androgen levels and improved ovulatory function. No studies however, evaluated the long term effects of insulin sensitizing treatment. Oral contraceptives normalize menstrual cycles and suppress androgen levels in PCOS, however no long-term studies evaluated the effects of combined treatment with metformin and oral contraceptives in PCOS. Design: Randomized open study in 3\*30 PCOS patients. Patients are randomised to 24 months of treatment with 1: metformin, 2: metformin and oral contraceptives or 3: oral contraceptives. Primary outcome measures: fasting insulin, AUC insulin. Secundary endpoints: BMI, WHR, LH, FSH, total and free-testosterone, c-peptid, urinary cortisol, AUC for insulin, glucose and c-peptid during OGTT. Inclusioncriteria: 1. Irregular menses or anovulaty cycles 2. High free testosterone \> 0,035 nmol/l or hirsutism 3. PCO in vaginal US Criteria 1 and 2 OR 2 and 3. Design:

Timeline

Start

2007-03

Primary completion

2012-01

Completion

2013-04

Publications

• Glintborg D, Petersen MH, Ravn P, Hermann AP, Andersen M. Comparison of regional fat mass measurement by whole body DXA scans and anthropometric measures to predict insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and controls. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2016 Nov;95(11):1235-1243. doi: 10.1111/aogs.12964.
• Mumm H, Altinok ML, Henriksen JE, Ravn P, Glintborg D, Andersen M. Prevalence and possible mechanisms of reactive hypoglycemia in polycystic ovary syndrome. Hum Reprod. 2016 May;31(5):1105-12. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dew046. Epub 2016 Mar 23.
• Glintborg D, Mumm H, Altinok ML, Richelsen B, Bruun JM, Andersen M. Adiponectin, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and regional fat mass during 12-month randomized treatment with metformin and/or oral contraceptives in polycystic ovary syndrome. J Endocrinol Invest. 2014 Aug;37(8):757-764. doi: 10.1007/s40618-014-0103-8. Epub 2014 Jun 7.
• Glintborg D, Altinok ML, Mumm H, Hermann AP, Ravn P, Andersen M. Body composition is improved during 12 months' treatment with metformin alone or combined with oral contraceptives compared with treatment with oral contraceptives in polycystic ovary syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jul;99(7):2584-91. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1135. Epub 2014 Apr 17.

Drugs

Indications