Metformin and combined oral contraceptive pills in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Context Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects more than 1 in 10 women. Objective As part of the 2023 International PCOS Guidelines update, comparisons between combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP), metformin, and combination treatment were evaluated. Data Sources Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycINFO...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Melin, Johanna, Forslund, Maria, Alesi, Simon, Piltonen, Terhi T., Romualdi, Daniela, Spritzer, Poli Mara, Tay, Chau Thien, Peña, Alexia Sophie, Witchel, Selma Feldman, Mousa, Aya, Teede, Helena J.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2024
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Repository:Repositório Institucional da UFRGS
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:www.lume.ufrgs.br:10183/287787
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10183/287787
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Síndrome do ovário policístico
Metformina
Hirsutismo
Anticoncepcionais orais combinados
Metanálise
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Metformin
Combined oral contraceptive pill
Meta-analysis
Hirsutism
Weight
Description
Summary:Context Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects more than 1 in 10 women. Objective As part of the 2023 International PCOS Guidelines update, comparisons between combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP), metformin, and combination treatment were evaluated. Data Sources Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, All EBM, and CINAHL were searched. Study Selection Women with PCOS included in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data Extraction We calculated mean differences and 95% CIs regarding anthropometrics, metabolic, and hyperandrogenic outcomes. Meta-analyses and quality assessment using GRADE were performed. Data Synthesis The search identified 1660 publications; 36 RCTs were included. For hirsutism, no differences were seen when comparing metformin vs COCP, nor when comparing COCP vs combination treatment with metformin and COCP. Metformin was inferior on free androgen index (FAI) (7.08; 95% CI 4.81, 9.36), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (−118.61 nmol/L; 95% CI −174.46, −62.75) and testosterone (0.48 nmol/L; 95% CI 0.32, 0.64) compared with COCP. COCP was inferior for FAI (0.58; 95% CI 0.36, 0.80) and SHBG (−16.61 nmol/L; 95% CI −28.51, −4.71) compared with combination treatment, whereas testosterone did not differ. Metformin lowered insulin (−27.12 pmol/L; 95% CI −40.65, −13.59) and triglycerides (−0.15 mmol/L; 95% CI −0.29, −0.01) compared with COCP. COCP was inferior for insulin (17.03 pmol/L; 95% CI 7.79, 26.26) and insulin resistance (0.44; 95% CI 0.17, 0.70) compared with combination treatment. Conclusions The choice of metformin or COCP treatment should be based on symptoms, noting some biochemical benefits from combination treatment targeting both major endocrine disturbances seen in PCOS (hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism).