Women recruited in the study were split into three groups- an oral contraceptive arm, lifestyle arm, and combined arm – where the oral contraceptive arm served as the control. In some cases (where BMI exceeded 30 kg/m2) women were also prescribed weight loss medication.
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PCOS is an endocrine disorder marked by higher levels of testosterone and other male sex hormones.
“The findings confirm what we have long suspected – that exercise and a healthy diet can improve fertility in women who have PCOS”, said study co-author Richard S. Legro, MD, a professor of obstetrics-gynecology and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, in a press release. The resulting hormonal imbalance can affect fertility by not providing the body with enough female hormones for eggs in the ovaries to mature, which can interfere with ovulation. “Making pre-conception lifestyle changes are beneficial, either alone or in combination with other pre-treatment options”, he said.
Nevertheless, there is still an open question for women with PCOS who are not obese, since the study did not take them as an instrument for the research. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health reports that an estimated five million women in the US are now suffering from PCOS.
Legro and colleagues evaluated 149 women aged 18 to 40 years with overweight or obesity and infertility due to PCOS to determine the efficacy of preconception intervention on reproductive and metabolic abnormalities.
PCOS may not be cured, but it can be treated, including using birth control pills to minimize the production of androgens and regulate ovulation. After the completion of the course, the participants went through four cycles of ovulation induced by medication. All members had been both obese or overweight, however didn’t have another medical situations. Of the 50 women in the lifestyle intervention group, 13 delivered babies.
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Women who participated in the lifestyle modification intervention and took birth control pills were more likely to ovulate than women who were assigned to take birth control pills. Additionally, the researchers found that the women who improved lifestyle habits in addition to following a course of birth control had better sensitivity to insulin and lower levels of triglycerides. “Life-style change is a vital a part of any fertility remedy strategy for girls with PCOS who’re chubby or overweight”. Their findings have been printed within the Journal of Medical Endocrinology & Metabolism. “In distinction, utilizing oral contraceptives alone might worsen the metabolic profile with out bettering ovulation”.
