The Effects of Statins on Hyperandrogenism in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
June 2021
in “
Research Square (Research Square)
”
TLDR Statins significantly reduce testosterone and improve skin symptoms in women with PCOS.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials involving 682 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) found that statin treatment significantly reduced levels of testosterone (SMD=-0.47; 95% CI, -0.76−-0.18; P = 0.002) and dehydroepiandrosterone (SMD=-0.51; 95% CI, -0.97−-0.05; P = 0.03), compared to control treatments. Statins also significantly improved cutaneous symptoms of hyperandrogenism in PCOS women, such as hirsutism (SMD=-0.61; 95% CI, -1.13−-0.10; P = 0.02) and acne (SMD=-0.92; 95% CI, -1.49−-0.34; P = 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in the effect on testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone levels between different types of statins and control treatments. The findings were confirmed as stable through sensitivity analysis.