Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder affecting the ovaries in reproductive-age females. It can cause various symptoms, including irregular periods, hormonal imbalances, and the formation of small cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries. One of the significant concerns for individuals with PCOS is infertility, which refers to the difficulty or inability to conceive a baby.
PCOS and infertility are closely related because PCOS can disrupt the normal hormonal balance in the body, leading to irregular ovulation or the lack of ovulation altogether. Ovulation is the process by which a mature egg is released from the ovary, ready for fertilization by sperm. In PCOS, the ovaries may contain multiple cysts that interfere with the release of eggs, resulting in irregular or absent periods and reduced chances of getting pregnant.
Clinical Trial
In a clinical trial, researchers compared the effectiveness of two treatment protocols for ovulation induction and pregnancy promotion in infertile women with PCOS. The trial included 174 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either letrozole alone (87 participants) or a sequential treatment of letrozole and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) (87 participants). Letrozole is a medication commonly used for ovulation induction in PCOS, and HMG is a hormone that stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs.
Results
The group receiving sequential treatment had a significantly higher ovulation rate (90.8%) than the letrozole alone group (70.1%). Furthermore, the live birth rate was significantly higher in the sequential group (23.0%) compared to the letrozole-alone group (10.3%). There were no significant differences in adverse events between the two groups.
Conclusion
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the sequential letrozole/HMG protocol might be more effective in inducing ovulation and promoting pregnancy in infertile women with PCOS than letrozole alone. However, it's important to note that this study had some limitations, such as being an open-label trial and having a relatively short follow-up period of one treatment cycle. Further research with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods is needed to confirm these results.
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