Long-term treatment with α-lipoic acid and myo-inositol positively affects clinical and metabolic features of polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of a long-term treatment with α-lipoic acid (ALA) combined with myo-inositol (MI) on clinical and metabolic features of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Fifty-seven women with PCOS and a history of oligoamenorrhea were treated with MI and ALA (800 mg + 2000 mg per day). Forty-four of them had complete clinical charts and were considered eligible for the study. Information about cycle length and body mass index (BMI) was checked after 6, 12, and 24 months. After 12 months ovarian volume, total testosterone plasma levels and changes in hirsutism were also evaluated. The metabolic parameters were evaluated in 16 women after 6 and 18 months of the treatment. Cycle length was significantly reduced at 6 (p < .001), 12, and 24 months of treatment (p < .01). BMI showed a reduction only at 6 months (p < .05), thereafter returning similar to the basal values. No changes of testosterone and ovarian volume were observed. HOMA-IR and fasting insulin were unchanged, but the insulin response to a 3 h OGTT was improved after 6 (p < .01) and 18 months (p < .05) of treatment. No individual suffered from any adverse event. In conclusion, the combination of ALA and MI showed to be useful as long-term therapy in PCOS women, providing a normalization of the menstrual cycle and an amelioration of insulin levels with a high tolerability.

摘要

这项回顾性研究的目的是评估长期用α-硫辛酸（ALA）结合肌醇（MI）治疗对多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）妇女的临床和代谢特征的影响。 MI联合ALA（每天800mg+2000mg）治疗57例有月经稀发或闭经史的PCOS女性。其中44例患者具有完​​整的临床图表并被认为有资格参加研究。之后6、12和24个月检查有关月经周期长度和体重指数（BMI）的信息。12个月后测量卵巢体积, 总睾酮水平, 评估多毛表现的变化。在治疗6个月和18个月后评估了16位女性的代谢参数。在治疗6（p <.001）, 12和24个月（p <.01）时, 月经周期长度显着缩短。BMI仅在治疗第6个月出现显著下降（p <.05）, 然后回升至基线值附近。未观察到睾酮和卵巢体积的变化。 HOMA-IR和空腹胰岛素保持不变, 但治疗6 个月（p <.01）和18个月（p <.05）后胰岛素对3 h OGTT的反应有所改善。患者未发生任何不良事件。总之, 研究表明, ALA和MI可作为PCOS妇女的长期治疗方法, 可调整月经周期, 并且改善胰岛素抵抗。

Keywords:

• Inositol
• α-lipoic acid
• insulin-sensitizer
• insulin resistance
• oligomenorrhea

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.