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Effect of metformin and oral contraceptives on polycystic ovary syndrome and IVF cycles

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Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of metformin and/or OC added to the treatment of PCOS patients at our clinic on IVF outcome.

Materials and methods

This study is a retrospective study that assesses the data of PCOS patients who received IVF between 2005 and 2015 at a private IVF center. The study included 496 PCOS cases aged between 24 and 40. Participants diagnosed with PCOS were divided into 4 groups according to the use of metformin and OC prior to the IVF cycle: 11.1% were in the metformin group, 31.3% in the OC group, 14.9% in the Metformin + OC group, and 42.7% in the control group.

Results

No difference was found in the total gonadotropin dose and duration of stimulation between the groups. Clinical pregnancy rates and implantation rates were similar in all groups, although the numbers of oocytes, mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and transferred embryos were lower in the treatment groups received metformin compared to the OC group and control group. There was no significant difference in the presence of OHSS and the singleton and multiple pregnancies between the four groups.

Conclusion

The present study established no positive role of metformin and OC use in increasing the treatment success in IVF/ICSI cycles in PCOS patients. It would be appropriate to limit the use of these agents with special indications such as decreasing insulin resistance or synchronizing follicular cohort.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Liv Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    M. N. Kalem

  2. IVF Department, Gurgan Clinic, Ankara, Turkey

    Z. Kalem & T. Gurgan

Authors
  1. M. N. Kalem
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  2. Z. Kalem
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  3. T. Gurgan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. N. Kalem.

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No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

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The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kalem, M.N., Kalem, Z. & Gurgan, T. Effect of metformin and oral contraceptives on polycystic ovary syndrome and IVF cycles. J Endocrinol Invest 40, 745–752 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0634-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0634-x

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