The Effects of Metformin, Ethinyl Estradiol/Cyproterone Acetate, and Their Combination Therapy on Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
February 2020
in “
İstanbul medical journal
”
TLDR Metformin improves early signs of heart disease in women with PCOS and raises apelin levels, but doesn't significantly change artery thickness.
The study, involving 60 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 43 healthy controls, examined the impact of metformin, ethinyl estradiol/cyproterone acetate (EE/CA), and their combination on carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and cardiovascular risk markers. After six months, PCOS patients showed higher CRP, HOMA-IR, and IMT levels, and lower adiponectin and apelin levels than controls. Treatment with metformin and the combination therapy significantly increased adiponectin and apelin levels, but did not significantly change CRP levels or carotid IMT. The study concluded that metformin positively affects subclinical atherosclerosis in PCOS patients, despite no significant decrease in carotid IMT, and highlighted the novel finding of increased serum apelin levels across all treatment groups.
