Journal of Clinical Medicine
Comparative Effects of Myo-Inositol, Metformin, Berberine, and Combination Therapy on Metabolic, Anthropometric and Hormonal Parameters in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A 6-Month Observational Cohort Study
By Vesselina Evtimova Yanachkova, Angel Danchev Yordanov, Antoniya Yaneva and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrine condition among women of reproductive age. It is marked by metabolic and reproductive irregularities and is often linked to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Diverse methods of treatment are employed to enhance metabolic and hormonal parameters, including inositol-based supplements, metformin, and novel compounds such as berberine.
Objective
To describe changes observed over six months in anthropometric, metabolic, lipid, and hormonal metrics among women with PCOS undergoing myo-inositol, metformin, berberine, or a combination of metformin and berberine in standard clinical settings, and to investigate if disparities among treatment groups remained after controlling for initial characteristics. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study included 148 women with PCOS diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria who completed six months of treatment with myo-inositol (n = 38), metformin (n = 52), berberine (n = 28), or combined metformin–berberine therapy (n = 30). Anthropometric, metabolic, lipid, and androgen parameters were assessed at baseline and after six months. Within-group changes were evaluated with correction for multiple testing using the Holm method. Given the non-random treatment allocation and baseline differences among groups, supplementary baseline-adjusted analyses were performed for the continuous outcomes.