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
Review
. 2023 Aug 31;15(8):e44493.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.44493. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Role of Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)-Related Infertility

Ghalia M Attia  1 , May M Almouteri  2 , Fatimah T Alnakhli  2
Affiliations
Review

Role of Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)-Related Infertility

Ghalia M Attia et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is considered the most prevalent endocrinological disorder, which affects some women and it is characterized by anovulation and hyperandrogenism, with morphologic changes in the ovary, inappropriate gonadotropin secretion, and insulin resistance (IR) with accompanying compensatory hyperinsulinemia. PCOS was associated with some degree of IR which probably contributes to hyperandrogenism. Many studies showed that metformin, when used to treat PCOS, significantly reduced serum androgen levels, improved insulin sensitivity, restored menstrual cyclicity, and was successful in triggering ovulation. As a result, metformin may be useful in treating PCOS-related infertility. The aim of this review was to clarify PCOS, its prevalence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, its pathogenesis, its impact on the patient's health, and to explain the uses of metformin, its mechanism of action, and its role in the treatment of PCOS-related infertility.

Keywords: hyperandrogenism; infertility; insulin resistance; metformin; polycystic ovary syndrom.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

    1. A survey of the polycystic ovary syndrome in the Greek island of Lesbos: hormonal and metabolic profile. Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Kouli CR, Bergiele AT, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999;84:4006–4011. - PubMed
    1. Phenotype and metabolic disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome. Głuszak O, Stopińska-Głuszak U, Glinicki P, et al. ISRN Endocrinol. 2012;2012:569862. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Revised 2003 consensus on diagnostic criteria and long-term health risks related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Rotterdam ESHRE/ASRM-Sponsored PCOS Consensus Workshop Group. Hum Reprod. 2004;19:41–47. - PubMed
    1. Insulin resistance: the clinical spectrum. Mantzoros CS, Flier JS. Adv Endocrinol Metab. 1995;6:193–232. - PubMed
    1. Equivalence of the insulin sensitivity index in man derived by the minimal model method and the euglycemic glucose clamp. Bergman RN, Prager R, Volund A, et al. J Clin Invest. 1987;79:790–800. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources