Diabetes
treatment Metformin has proven to reduce blood sugar levels and is now frequently being prescribed for
women who suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Metformin is an
insulin-sensitizing biguanide that is regularly being used for treatment of
raised blood glucose levels in those who are suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Metformin is often used by PCOS sufferers as an off label prescription. This
method was initially used by individuals with type 2 diabetes however now it is
being prescribed for PCOS sufferers due to its similar performance in both of
the groups.
If you are suffering from PCOS you could
be resistant to insulin. PCOS diminishes
the cells ability to respond to the performance of insulin in carrying glucose
from the blood stream through to the tissues and muscles. Metformin has the
ability to improve the response cell’s have to insulin and therefore aid the
movement of glucose into the cells. Due to this the body is not needed to
produce as much insulin.
PCOS symptoms
PCOS can be accompanied by
a range of symptoms that include disturbances to the metabolism (gaining of
weight), reproductive disorders (anoyulation, infertility, irregular menses and
polycystic ovaries) and hyperandrogenism (acne, alopecia and hirsutism).
One particular study
concerning 39 women who were suffering from PCOS and hyperinsulinemia which is
an additional insulin in the blood saw them being treated with Metformin. Women
with PCOS experienced a fall in insulin along with a free testosterone which
resulted in considerable improvements in clinical symptoms of Hyperandrogenism
(extra androgen production in females) and menstrual cycle.
Nevertheless
studies have also shown that through alterations in diet, lifestyle and loss of
weight are on their own successful for controlling menstrual cycles and present
improvements to hyperandrogenism.
Predominantly
the ingredients within Metformin are successful for the treatment of type 2
diabetes having the ability to reduce blood sugar levels.
Metformin and
pregnancy
Metformin improves the possibility of
ovulation in women who suffer from PCOS through a number of actions, such as
lowering insulin levels and varying the effect of insulin on ovarian androgen
synthesis, theca cell proliferation, and endometrial growth (Badawy 2011).
Metforminpregnancy success was evaluated in infertile patients who were suffering from
PCOS. The study was conducted on 29 infertile patients with PCOS that were
included in a study with 15 normal menstruating women who acted as controls for
reproductive hormones and ovarian volumes.
Every PCOS patient received 78 cycles of clomiphene citrate (CC)
initially, then patients who had difficulty conceiving were moved over to
metformin and clomiphene citrate. The PCOS patients served as their own
controls for the pregnancy and ovulation rates.
At the end of the C
cycles it was established that there was PCOS pregnancy. 4.2% of patients
achieved pregnancy and 65.2% were pregnant through metformin plus CC cycles
(p=0.0001). No serious side effects have been observed of metformin during pregnancy.
The high metformin pregnancy success is consistent to the hypothesis that
insulin resistance plays a key part in the panthogenesis of anovulation in
patients suffering from PCOS.
No comments:
Post a Comment