Weight loss could help one manage symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including frequency of menstrual cycles, according to a study. The condition affects one in eight to 10 women globally during their reproductive ages and is marked by higher-than-usual testosterone levels. The symptoms include irregular periods and excess weight gain.
Researchers at the University of Oxford, UK, reviewed trials across scientific research databases, such as ‘MEDLINE’ and ‘Embase’, to understand how losing weight impacts one’s PCOS symptoms. The trials compared interventions aimed at reducing weight in people with PCOS, results from which were published in studies. Weight loss interventions were associated with significantly greater improvements in HOMA-IR (measures insulin resistance), free androgen index (measures free testosterone in blood) and period frequency, the authors said in the study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
In the review, the researchers looked at how weight loss interventions impacted women’s metabolic, hormonal and gynaecological markers, along with quality of life. This was compared to women who were offered no additional care or support other than being advised to lose weight. The interventions that the researchers analysed included behavioural ones, such as diet changes and physical activity, and licensed weight loss pharmacotherapy.
The findings suggested that losing weight could be an effective tool for managing PCOS symptoms in clinical settings, the authors said. Clinicians could use the study’s results to counsel patients having PCOS about the improvements in biological markers following weight loss and direct them towards appropriate interventions, they said.