Currently experts recommend overweight women with PCOS try a low-calorie diet first to lose weight before seeking medication. This is because for most women with PCOS, a low-calorie diet is more effective than medication alone for losing MedicGLP Weight Management. However, most studies also show that certain medications can boost the impact of a low-calorie diet (LCD) especially if tailored to the patient’s individual condition. Fortunately, there are several types of medication, each with different properties, to suit a variety of women with PCOS, according to hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance and BMI. The insulin sensitizer metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage or Glumetza) is commonly prescribed to women with PCOS and insulin resistance (IR) struggling to lose weight via diet alone. Unfortunately, the heterogenicity of PCOS means not all women respond to metformin the same and can skew small size studies. Nevertheless, overall metformin treatment promotes weight loss and/or maintenance among women with PCOS and IR. Dumesic et al. recently reported that elevated testosterone levels boosts abdominal fat deposition in PCOS women.
As a result, hyperandrogenic women with PCOS trying to lose weight (or reduce body fat) also benefit from anti-androgen medication such as Flutamide (Eulexin). Although the heterogenicity of PCOS means not all women will respond to flutamide the same. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs such as Liraglutide, Exenatide and Semaglutide, mimics the effect of the body’s incretin hormone, decreasing glucose levels and suppressing appetite. Therefore by design GLP-1 analogs are superior to Metformin for overweight women with PCOS who did not significantly lose weight after lifestyle modification. Although semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) treatment more than doubles the loss of weight for women with PCOS compared to Liraglutide or Exenatide. 4) women with PCOS fail to respond to semaglutide treatment. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors such as Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin blocks the reabsorption of glucose and sodium by the kidney and increases the loss of glucose through your urine. As a result, SGLT2 inhibitors are a viable alternative to Metformin for the majority of women with PCOS who are trying to lose weight irrespective of insulin levels (or resistance).
Medication is definitely helpful for women trying to lose weight with PCOS, but results do vary a lot. This is because PCOS is a complex disorder, with many subtypes, that no single medication corrects entirely. Hence why combined treatments usually perform better. In short, the more personalised treatment is, the more in harmony the body is, MedicGLP Official Website and the quicker it burns through the kilos. Carmina E and Longo R A, (2023). Semaglutide Treatment of Excessive Body Weight in Obese PCOS Patients Unresponsive to Lifestyle Programs. Dumesic D A, et al. 2022). Randomized clinical trial: effect of low-dose flutamide on abdominal adipogenic function in normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Nazirudeen R, et al. 2023). A randomized controlled trial comparing myoinositol with metformin versus metformin monotherapy in polycystic ovary syndrome. Elkind-Hirsch K E, et al. 2021). Exenatide, Dapagliflozin, or Phentermine/Topiramate Differentially Affect Metabolic Profiles in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Javed Z, et al.
2019). Effects of empagliflozin on metabolic parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized controlled study. Jensterle M, et al. 2017). Short-term effectiveness of low dose liraglutide in combination with metformin versus high dose liraglutide alone in treatment of obese PCOS: randomized trial. Nylander M, et al. 2017). Effects of liraglutide on ovarian dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial. Amiri M, et al. 2014). Effect of Metformin and Flutamide on Anthropometric Indices and Laboratory Tests in Obese/Overweight PCOS Women under Hypocaloric Diet. Ganie M A, et al. 2013). Improved Efficacy of Low-Dose Spironolactone and Metformin Combination Than Either Drug Alone in the Management of Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): MedicGLP weight management A Six-Month, Open-Label Randomized Study. Elkind-Hirsch K E, et al. 2008). Comparison of Single and Combined Treatment with Exenatide and Metformin on Menstrual Cyclicity in Overweight Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Gambineri A, et al. 2006). Treatment with Flutamide, MedicGLP Metformin, and Their Combination Added to a Hypocaloric Diet in Overweight-Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized, 12-Month, Placebo-Controlled Study. Gambineri A, et al. 2004). Effect of flutamide and metformin administered alone or in combination in dieting obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Pasquali R, et al. 2000). Effect of long-term treatment with metformin added to hypocaloric diet on body composition, fat distribution, and androgen and insulin levels in abdominally obese women with and without the polycystic ovary syndrome.