Inpharma 1487 - 14 May 2005

Pioglitazone, metformincomparable in obesity + PCOS

Pioglitazone is comparable to metformin for reducinginsulin resistance and correcting hormone imbalance inwomen with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), report researchers from Mexico.

Their study included 52 such patients who wererandomised to receive oral pioglitazone 30mg once daily(n = 25) or oral metformin 850mg three times daily, for24 weeks.

After 6 months’ treatment, significant reductions frombaseline were observed for fasting insulin levels in boththe pioglitazone (11.1 vs 31.1 µU/mL) and metformin(11 vs 31.1 µU/mL) groups. The AUC-insulin during a2-hour oral glucose tolerance test was reduced to asignificantly lower value in patients receivingpioglitazone, compared with metformin recipients(10 930 vs 13 415 µU–min/mL). However, neithertreatment significantly affected glucose levels.

Furthermore, significant decreases from baseline infree testosterone and androstenedione levels wereobserved after treatment with pioglitazone (3.07 vs2.12 pg/mL and 3.81 vs 2.5 ng/mL, respectively) andmetformin (2.67 vs 1.81 pg/mL and 3.62 vs 2.07 ng/mL,respectively).Ortega-Gonzalez C, et al. Responses of serum androgen and insulin resistance tometformin and pioglitazone in obese, insulin-resistant women with polycysticovary syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90:1360-1365, No. 3, Mar 2005 801007698

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Inpharma 14 May 2005 No. 14871173-8324/10/1487-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved