Short period-administration of myo-inositol and metformin on hormonal and glycolipid profiles in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

J.-Q. Zhang, C. Xing, B. He

Department of Endocrinology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning province, PR China. hebing7557@163.com

 

---

• Endocrinology

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aims to perform an updated meta-analysis to evaluate myo-inositol (myo-ins) and the classical insulin sensitizer metformin in terms of efficacy and safety for treating women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PhRMA Clinical Study Results, Wan Fang, and CNKI databases; the database was searched from inception to June 2021. The random effects model was chosen to synthesize the effect sizes of individual trails. The registration number is CRD42021239786.

RESULTS: Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 612 patients were included in the analysis. Compared with metformin, myo-ins might be more effective in lowering triglycerides (TG) levels (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.74 to -0.24, p=0.0001, I2 = 0%) and avoiding side effects (RR=0.14, 95% CI 0.08-0.24, p<0.00001, I2 = 2%), while no significant differences were observed in other relevant indexes, such as total testosterone (TT) and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with metformin, the suitable supplemental dosage of myo-ins may be helpful in lowering levels of TG and avoiding adverse events (AEs).

Free PDF Download