Reconsideration of Guidelines for Metformin Use in Ovulation Induction for PCOS by ESHRE and ASRM
April 2013
in “
Hormones
”
TLDR New information suggests that metformin might help more women with PCOS and infertility, not just those with glucose issues.
In 2013, a review suggested that the 2007 guidelines from the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine on the use of metformin for inducing ovulation in patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) might need reconsideration. The guidelines had limited metformin use to patients with impaired glucose tolerance, but newer data indicated that metformin could be beneficial for PCOS patients with a normal body mass index experiencing infertility due to anovulation. Combining metformin with clomiphene seemed to be the best treatment for patients resistant to clomiphene. Metformin also appeared to reduce the incidence and severity of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in patients undergoing multiple ovulation induction for in vitro fertilization. However, more studies were needed to support these findings and identify factors predicting successful ovulation induction.
