Karim N, Ali SS, Ishaq M, Ansari MA and Ahmed SP
Keywords: Polycystic ovary syndrome, carbohydrate metabolism, fasting serum glucose, metformin HCl, diet and exercise.
Abstract: To compare the effects of metformin HCl with diet and exercise on the carbohydrate metabolism in polycystic ovary syndrome a clinical trial was carried out on one hundred infertile females having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with ages between 20-40 years. They were enrolled from the infertility clinic of a private hospital in Karachi from 2001 to 2004. The patients were divided into group A (metformin treated group) and group B (diet and exercise treated group) each having fifty patients in all. Group A was given tablet metformin HCl 500 mg thrice daily while group B was kept on 30-60 minutes walk daily along with avoidance of excess sugars, oily food and red meat from their diet for a period of three months. Both groups were subjected to have fasting serum glucose (FSG) and fasting serum insulin (FSI) at day-0 and day-90. Significant reduction was found in group A in both the FSG and FSI which reduced from 92.74±13.0 mg/dl to 86±8.7 mg/dl) P=0.001) and 20.6±11.0 ?U/ml to 9.8±5.6 ?U/ml (P=0.001) respectively. Non significant reduction was observed in group B in both the parameters. FSG reduced from 92±11.1 mg/dl to 91±9.8 mg/dl (P=0.079) and FSI reduced from 18.8±5.0 ?U/mlto 18.6±5.0 ?U/ml (P=0.06). In conclusion metformin HCl increased the peripheral uptake and utilization of glucose probably which in turn increased the insulin sensitivity and reduced the insulin resistance in these patients having polycystic ovary syndrome.
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