Regidor, P. A., & Schindler, A. E. (2016). Myoinositol as a Safe and Alternative Approach in the Treatment of Infertile PCOS Women: A German Observational Study. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2016, 9537632. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9537632
Regidor PA, Schindler AE. Myoinositol as a Safe and Alternative Approach in the Treatment of Infertile PCOS Women: A German Observational Study. Int J Endocrinol. 2016;2016:9537632. doi:10.1155/2016/9537632
Regidor, Pedro-Antonio, and Adolf Eduard Schindler. "Myoinositol as a Safe and Alternative Approach in the Treatment of Infertile PCOS Women: A German Observational Study." International Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 2016, 2016, pp. 9537632.
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About 15 in 100 infertile PCOS women on myoinositol got pregnant
In a German questionnaire study, 545 of 3602 infertile women with PCOS (now named PMOS) who took myoinositol got pregnant. That is about 15 out of 100. Every woman studied took the supplement. Gynecologists' records showed about 70 out of 100 moved toward ovulatory cycles.
Key Findings
Gynecologists reported 3602 women with PCOS and infertility, diagnosed by the Rotterdam classification, between June 2014 and March 2015.
The records showed 2520 of the 3602 women improved toward ovulatory cycles, which the paper reports as 70%.
545 women became pregnant, 15.1% of the women studied. The pregnancies followed two to three months of use.
The paper states that no relevant side effects were reported.
In a subgroup of 32 women, testosterone fell and progesterone rose after 12 weeks (p < 0.05).
Interpretation
German doctors tracked women with PCOS and infertility who took myoinositol with folic acid. The 15.1% pregnancy rate matched or beat rates seen with metformin, another insulin drug, in older, smaller studies. The authors note the limits of an observational study. The findings support larger studies of myoinositol for PCOS-related infertility.
RRM Context
PCOS, now called PMOS, disrupts ovulation. Restorative reproductive medicine asks why ovulation fails. The authors say insulin resistance plays a key role. A follicle scan or a pregnancy confirms that ovulation happened. Both partners belong in an infertility evaluation.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
The use of 2 × 2000 mg myoinositol + 2 × 200 μg folic acid per day is a safe and promising tool in the effective improvement of symptoms and infertility for patients with a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Using a questionnaire an observational study was performed under German gynecologists to collect data on ovulation and pregnancy rates in PCOS patients with infertility. In this observational study, 3602 infertile women used myoinositol and folic acid between 2 and 3 months in a dosage of 2 × 2000 mg myoinositol + 2 × 200 μg folic acid per day. In a subgroup of 32 patients, hormonal values for testosterone, free testosterone, and progesterone were analyzed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The mean time of use was 10.2 weeks. During this time 70% of these women had a restored ovulation, and 545 pregnancies were obtained. This means a pregnancy rate of 15.1% of all the myoinositol and folic acid users. In 19 cases a concomitant medication with clomiphene or dexamethasone was used. One twin pregnancy was documented. Testosterone levels changed from 96.6 ng/ml to 43.3 ng/ml and progesterone from 2.1 ng/ml to 12.3 ng/ml (p < 0.05) after 12 weeks of treatment. No relevant side effects were present among the patients. This study could show that a new treatment option for patients with a PCOS and infertility is available. The achieved pregnancy rates are at least in an equivalent or even superior range than those reported by the use of metformin.
