Thyroidal effect of metformin treatment in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

VernacularTitle:二甲双胍治疗多囊卵巢综合征对甲状腺功能的影响
Author: Yu WANG ; Minxi SONG
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Metformin/TU; Polycystic ovary syndrome/DT; Thyroid gland/DE
From: Journal of Chinese Physician 2016;18(5):710-712
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Objective To evaluate the effect of metformin treatment on the thyroid hormone profile in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods A total of 148 patients with PCOS was specifically selected for either being diagnosed of hypothyroidism or subclinically hypothyroid or euthyroid without levothyroxine treatment before the starting of metformin.The serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured before and after a 6-month period of metformin therapy.Results Thyroid function parameters did not change after starting metformin therapy in euthyroid patients with PCOS.In the 9 hypothyroid patients and 38 subclinical hypothyroid patients with PCOS,the basal median serum levels of TSH (P ＜ 0.05) decreased after a 6-month course of mefformin treatment [(2.77 ±1.47) μIU/ml vs (6.77 ± 2.46) μIU/ml;(2.90 ± 1.08) μIU/ml vs (4.05 ± 0.94) μIU/ml,P ＜ 0.05].No significant change in the serum levels of FT4 was observed in these patients (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Mefformin treatment has no effect on thyroid hormone,but has a TSH-lowering effect in hypothyroid and subclinically hypothyroid patients with PCOS.