“About 80 percent of women with PCOS have insulin resistance, which can lead to elevated androgen levels, irregular cycles, inflammation, weight gain and even diabetes and certain types of cancer,” Dr. Krauss explains. “By improving insulin sensitivity, GLP-1 medications may help reverse many of these symptoms of PCOS, but more research is needed to understand how much these other symptoms are impacted by GLP-1s.” She adds that the research that does exist so far is promising to suggest that the GLP-1 medications may work better than the treatments we have offered previously.
She tells me there have been several studies showing the benefits of GLP-1s for PCOS patients as it relates to treatment of obesity and diabetes, but not as many about how GLP-1 medication can affect the menstrual cycles and ovulation. Because of this, she stresses that healthcare providers need to take each patient’s unique history and personal goals into account before considering GLP-1s as part of the PCOS management plan.
-
-
-
-
