Role of Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Eversence the description by Stein and Leventhal, (1935) of the syndrome of amenorrhea, infertility, hirsutism associated with sclerocystic ovaries, the entity of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been researched extensively.

Polycystic ovarian disease may stem from higher centeres, hypothalamous, pituitary, adrenal or from the ovaries. It may originate from excess of fat tissue usually combined with hyperinsulinemia or may be the . net increase in active growth factors, each of the above disturbances appears early in life much before the clinical signs of the disease are evident.

Insulin resistance 1s a condition in which nonnal insulin concentration produces an abnom1ally attenuated biologic affect. It is a heterogenous condition resulting from a variety of insulin receptor and post-receptor disorders, some congenital and some acquired. Hyperandrogenism is the primary functional feature ofPCOD. The excess androgen production originates from the ovaries and often also from the adrenal cortex. Testosterone levels, particularly of unbound testosterone, are typically elevated. It has been suggested that unbound (free) testosterone levels may be a better indicator of clinic.al androgenicity than total testosterone.