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Review
. 2022 Aug 27;14(8):e28462.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.28462. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Role of Metformin in the Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-Associated Acne: A Systematic Review

Humaira Shamim  1   2 , Marie Jean  3 , Muaaz Umair  4 , Pratyusha Muddaloor  4 , Michelle Farinango  4 , Akhil Ansary  5   6 , Amulya Dakka  4 , Zahra Nazir  7 , Chantelle T White  8 , Ahmad B Habbal  9 , Lubna Mohammed  4
Affiliations
Review

Role of Metformin in the Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-Associated Acne: A Systematic Review

Humaira Shamim et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Metformin, a biguanide hypoglycemic agent that is safe and effective for treating acne in women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), has shown growing evidence of improving insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, dyslipidemia, overall cardiovascular health, quality of life, psychological wellbeing, and general health outcomes. This study aims to identify and summarize the effects of metformin in patients with PCOS-associated acne. This systematic review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search was done on PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases from 2011 up to 23 February 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cross-sectional studies, observational studies, literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in English were selected. The data was extracted to a predefined template. Each study was individually checked by using a quality assessment. The initial search generated a total of 218 studies. Nine studies were included in the final selection: two RCTs, one hospital-based longitudinal study, one hospital-based clinical trial, three cross-sectional studies, three systematic reviews with meta-analyses, and one narrative review. Metformin is generally effective and safe for improving PCOS-associated acne and the quality of life. More clinical trials are required to determine the indications for prescribing metformin in patients with PCOS-associated acne.

Keywords: acne; antiandrogen; hyperandrogenism; metformin; nodulocystic acne; polycystic ovarian syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA chart
Figure 2
Figure 2. Etiology of PCOS.
Figure modified by Shamim H.
Figure 3
Figure 3. The effects of PCOS at different stages of life.
Figure modified by Shamim H.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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