Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Feb 23:21:7.
doi: 10.4103/1735-1995.177354. eCollection 2016.

Comparison of the effects of metformin, flutamide plus oral contraceptives, and simvastatin on the metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome

Ferdous Mehrabian  1 , Hatav Ghasemi-Tehrani  1 , Mahboobe Mohamadkhani  1 , Maryam Moeinoddini  2 , Pooya Karimzadeh  2
Affiliations

Comparison of the effects of metformin, flutamide plus oral contraceptives, and simvastatin on the metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome

Ferdous Mehrabian et al. J Res Med Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive ages. It is associated with a range of disorders, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance (IR), compensatory hyperinsulinemia, gestational, and type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. There are different treatments available for PCOS. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effects of metformin, flutamide plus oral contraceptives (OCs), and simvastatin on the metabolic consequences of PCOS.

Materials and methods: This study was a single-blind clinical trial. The subjects were selected from a group of patient with PCOS and metabolic syndrome, who were referred to the midwifery clinic of Al-Zahra Hospital and Beheshti Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. A total of 111 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: metformin, flutamide plus OCs, and simvastatin groups. The measurements were performed at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Paired t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square test were applied in this study.

Results: A total of 102 subjects were analyzed in this study, 34 subjects were allotted in each group. The prevalence of IR was statistically different between three groups (P-value = 0.001). After a 6-month course, metformin showed larger reduction in fasting blood sugar (FBS) level (P-value < 0.001). However, except for metformin, two other treatments reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) level significantly (both P-values < 0.001). The level of triglycerides (TGs) decreased considerably in all groups (all P-values < 0.001). Both metformin and simvastatin decreased BMI significantly (both P-values < 0.001). None of the treatments changed high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level (all P-values > 0.05).

Conclusion: Metformin performed better in FBS reduction. Simvastatin had better performance in terms of reducing TG level and waist circumference.

Keywords: Flutamide; metformin; oral contraceptives (OCs); polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); simvastatin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the trial
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Banaszewska B, Pawelczyk L, Spaczynski RZ, Duleba AJ. Effects of simvastatin and metformin on polycystic ovary syndrome after six months of treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:3493–501. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Goodarzi MO, Dumesic DA, Chazenbalk G, Azziz R. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2011;7:219–31. - PubMed
    1. Conway G, Dewailly D, Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Escobar-Morreale HF, Franks S, Gambineri A, et al. ; ESE PCOS Special Interest Group. The polycystic ovary syndrome: A position statement from the European Society of Endocrinology. Eur J Endocrinol. 2014;171:P1–29. - PubMed
    1. Banaszewska B, Pawelczyk L, Spaczynski RZ, Dziura J, Duleba AJ. Effects of simvastatin and oral contraceptive agent on polycystic ovary syndrome: Prospective, randomized, crossover trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:456–61. - PubMed
    1. Morin-Papunen L, Rantala AS, Unkila-Kallio L, Tiitinen A, Hippeläinen M, Perheentupa A, et al. Metformin improves pregnancy and live-birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97:1492–500. - PubMed