Effect of a Six-Month Treatment Regimen of Metformin on 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Responses to GnRH Agonist in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
September 2002
in “
Fertility and sterility
”
TLDR Metformin can start ovulation and may lower 17P response in PCOS, but six months is too short to improve hair growth or change body fat distribution.
The study evaluated the effects of a six-month metformin (MET) treatment on 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17P) responses to GnRH agonist (GnRH Ag) in seven anovulatory PCOS patients. Results showed that MET treatment initiated regular ovulatory cycles in three patients and reduced 17P responses to GnRH Ag, although the reduction was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). However, MET did not improve hirsutism scores, BMI, waist to hip ratio, or SHBG levels. The study concluded that while MET may help initiate ovulation and lower 17P responses, six months may be insufficient to see improvements in hirsutism, likely due to the hair follicle growth cycle.
