Efficacy of metformin on pregnancy complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the efficacy of metformin administration throughout pregnancy on pregnancy-related complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

STUDY DESIGN:

MEDLINE and ScienceDirect were searched to retrieve relevant trials. The endpoint was the incidence of complications of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pre-eclampsia (PE), miscarriage and premature birth included.

RESULTS:

Five studies with 502 PCOS patients with metformin administration throughout pregnancy and 427 controls who used metformin just to get conception were included in our meta-analysis. In study group, a significantly lower change of emerging miscarriage and premature birth was observed, the pooled relative risk (RR) was 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19-0.56) for miscarriage and 0.40 (95%CI: 0.18-0.91) for premature birth. No significant difference was demonstrated in emerging GDM and PE.

CONCLUSIONS:

Metformin therapy throughout pregnancy can reduce the RR of miscarriage and premature birth incidence in PCOS patients with no serious side effects.

• Authors: Li Feng, Xiao-Fang Lin, Zhi-Hua Wan, Dan Hu, Yu-Kai Du
• Journal: Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology (Gynecol Endocrinol) Vol. 31 Issue 11 Pg. 833-9 ( 2015) ISSN: 1473-0766 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26440203 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review)

Chemical References

• Hypoglycemic Agents
• Metformin

Topics

• Abortion, Spontaneous (epidemiology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Diabetes, Gestational (epidemiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Hypoglycemic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Incidence
• Metformin (therapeutic use)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (drug therapy)
• Pre-Eclampsia (epidemiology)
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications (drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Premature Birth (epidemiology)