Metformin Treatment in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

• Status: Unknown status
• Trial end date: 2020-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

PCOS occurs when a woman does not release an egg regularly each month, causing her periods to be irregular. Women with PCOS can also have increased hair growth on the face and body, acne, head balding, infertility, pre-diabetes, and diabetes. PCOS is commonly treated with oral contraceptive pills (also known as the birth control pills). Sometimes, a medication called metformin is also used to treat PCOS, especially if a woman has evidence of insulin resistance or if fertility is desired. Unfortunately, metformin works in only some women with PCOS. The mechanism through which metformin works in PCOS is not clear and it difficult to predict who will benefit from metformin treatment and who will not.

The investigators are doing this research study to look at how the medication metformin affects the cells in the body of patients with PCOS. Specifically, the investigators will look at how metformin affects the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the part of cells that produce fuel (energy) for other cells and play a role in metabolism. The investigators would like to see whether there is a relationship between mitochondrial activity and symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) before and after treatment with metformin. They would also like to study whether genes affect the response to metformin in women with PCOS.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); University of Utah
• Treatments: Metformin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome

• No hormonal or antidiabetic medications for 1 month

• Good general health

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoker

• Acute infection or chronic disease

• Diabetes

• Pregnant or trying to get pregnant over next half year

• Bleeding disorders

• Any metal or foreign implants (e.g., aneurysm clips, ear implants, heart pacemakers or defibrillators)