How to treat polycystic ovary syndrome

  Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common clinical gynecological endocrine disorder that occurs mostly in adolescent and fertile women, with anovulatory menstrual disorders, hirsutism, acne, obesity, and infertility as the main clinical manifestations. Due to the complex etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome, there is no unique single effective treatment plan. Huang Rong, deputy chief physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shenzhen People’s Hospital, said that ovulation disorder is the biggest problem of polycystic ovary syndrome, so treatment options should be differentiated according to whether patients have fertility requirements.  1. Patients with fertility requirements: regulate the body to promote ovulation Huang Rong pointed out that patients with fertility requirements should first reduce their weight and adjust their endocrine system to normal before undergoing ovulation treatment. The ultimate goal of treatment for this group of patients is to promote ovulation and obtain a normal pregnancy. The primary strategy is to reduce weight through lifestyle intervention, diet adjustment and regular exercise. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome combined with obesity have poor drug efficacy and high dosage of drugs for ovulation promotion, so patients with obesity should first lose weight.  Polycystic ovary syndrome is often associated with hyperandrogenemia, mainly hirsutism and acne, which is not only a cosmetic problem, but should first be treated with the appropriate anti-androgen agent for the source of the excess androgens. Hyperandrogenism is often not a single source, and comprehensive anti-androgen agents should be used and applied in combination to obtain more satisfactory results. Ovulation promotion therapy can be effective only after the hyperandrogenism is corrected.  Huang Rong introduced that the drug of choice is currently ethinylestradiol cyproterone. Ciproterone is a combination of progesterone (cyproterone acetate) and ethinyl estradiol. Progesterone gradually reduces androgens in the body by competing for receptors and inhibiting enzymes.  For patients who may have insulin resistance, Rong Huang believes that endocrine disorders can be corrected first with metformin, which is currently a safer drug for patients with fertility requirements, and it can improve the ovulation-promoting effect of ovulation-promoting drugs.  The treatment of fertility drugs in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome of reproductive age is based on ovulation promotion and metabolic mediation. After both weight and endocrine adjustments have been normalized, ovulation-promoting treatment can be administered. Clomiphene is the first-line ovulation-promoting drug.  2. No fertility requirement: improve the quality of life Same as the treatment for patients with fertility requirement, the primary strategy for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome is to stop the adverse consequences of long-term development of polycystic ovary syndrome by adjusting lifestyle, controlling diet, regular exercise, reducing weight to normal range, improving insulin resistance, mainly including some distant complications diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and endometrial cancer, etc.  For this group of patients, Huang Rong believes that oral contraceptives can be used to treat hyperandrogenemia or hyperandrogenic manifestations, and that various short-acting oral contraceptives are commonly used, with ethinyl estradiol cyproterone still being the first choice. For adolescent girls in the application of oral contraceptives there is accelerated bone maturation in adolescent girls detrimental to lifelong high, reduce insulin sensitivity, leading to impaired glucose tolerance in patients, so before taking the drug should do a good job of fully informed consent of patients.  Huang Rong suggested that progestin can be used for anovulatory patients without obvious hyperandrogenic clinical and laboratory manifestations and without obvious insulin resistance, and regular progestin therapy alone can be used to restore menstruation; it can adjust menstrual cycle, protect endometrium and prevent endometrial cancer; it can reduce androgen level to some extent by slowing down the frequency of secretion of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone – luteinizing hormone pulse; It is suitable for patients without severe Kaohsiung symptoms and metabolic disorders.  For the treatment of insulin resistance, Huang Rong said, similar to the treatment of patients with fertility requirements, metformin can be used. Patients are advised to follow up every 3-6 months to understand the recovery of menstruation and ovulation, any adverse reactions, and to recheck blood insulin, luteinizing hormone and testosterone. If menstruation does not return, additional progestin should be used to regulate menstruation.