Inositol can effectively and safely manage polycystic ovary syndrome

Metformin is considered the gold standard insulin sensitizer and is popularly used to treat insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), yet it may cause gastrointestinal adverse effects.

Inositols may serve as a potential alternative to metformin in treating PCOS. Hence, the current systematic review evaluated inositols' efficacy as well as safety in managing PCOS.

It sorted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that contained women diagnosed with PCOS and contrasted any inositols treatment with metformin or placebo. The study looked for cycle normalization, body mass index (BMI), parameters of carbohydrate metabolism, and clinical and laboratory hyperandrogenism. 

It observed-

• Inclusion of twenty-six RCTs that comprised data from 1691 patients (806 inositols, 311 placebo, and 509 metformin groups). 
• Patients treated with inositols had 1.79 higher chances of having a regular menstrual cycle than the placebo.
• Inositols were non-inferior to metformin in this outcome. 
• Insulin inositol treatment induced a greater decrease in BMI, free testosterone, total testosterone, androstenedione, glucose levels, and AUC than the placebo. 
• Inositol remarkably increased sex-hormone-binding globulin than placebo.

This study proves Inositol is an effective and safe treatment for PCOS, which is non-inferior in most outcomes compared to metformin, the gold standard treatment.

Greff D, Juhász AE, Váncsa S. et al. Inositol is an effective and safe treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2023;21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-023-01055-z