Metformin and PCOS: any link?

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Metformin is often prescribed to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to manage symptoms such as insulin resistance, high androgen levels, acne, hirsutism, weight gain, and fertility problems. It helps control blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance, but requires monitoring for potential kidney and liver damage.

Doctors often explain the link between a drug called metformin and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to women who have just been diagnosed with the disorder. Many doctors prescribe metformin as a treatment for this disorder. While there is no current cure for polycystic ovarian syndrome, using metformin can help manage the effects of the disorder. Mostly, metformin is taken by women with insulin resistance who are at risk of developing diabetes. It can also help regulate the excess androgens, or male hormones, in the body that occur as a result of polycystic ovarian syndrome and reduce some of the fertility problems some women with the disorder experience.

Insulin resistance and high androgen levels cause many health and cosmetic problems for women with polycystic ovary disorder, including acne, hirsutism, and weight gain leading to obesity and possibly diabetes. The disorder also sometimes affects fertility and makes it difficult for women to have children. By studying metformin and polycystic ovarian syndrome, researchers have determined that this drug can be very effective in reversing and managing most of these symptoms, helping the patient lose weight, restore a more feminine appearance and increase fertility .

Insulin resistance is perhaps the most pressing problem facing women with PCOS. It occurs when the body is unable to use insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar, as effectively as possible. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, more insulin is needed to make up for the underuse. If the body reaches a point where it can’t make the amount of insulin needed to keep blood sugar under control, it can lead to type II diabetes, a very serious condition. Research studying metformin and polycystic ovary syndrome has shown that the drug helps control blood sugar in women with the disorder by reducing the amount of insulin taken in from food, reducing the amount of glucose made by the body, and lowering resistance to insulin.

The effects of metformin and polycystic ovary syndrome both need to be monitored periodically using blood tests. Metformin can sometimes cause kidney and liver damage, so it’s important to pay attention to this and take it early if it starts to occur. Hormone levels, including insulin and blood sugar levels, should also be measured regularly to make sure the medication is working properly and polycystic ovary syndrome is under control.




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