Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Randomized Study of Metformin

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder among women, diagnosed in at least 5% to 10% of women between adolescence and menopause. Symptoms include menstrual dysfunction and hyperandrogenism. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia may play a role in PCOS by promoting excess androgen production, and insulin sensitizing agents like metformin have resulted in improved clinical status in some adult women. Investigators from the University of Newfoundland in St. Johns and McGill University in Montreal performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial using metformin for PCOS in adolescents. A total of 22 adolescents with hyperinsulinemia and PCOS were enrolled from the ambulatory endocrinology adolescent clinic at Montreal Children’s Hospital between 1999 and …