Combined oral contraceptive pill compared with no medical treatment in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review
Authors' conclusion
Results show that COCP benefit cycle regulation, but other benefits or potential adverse effects were only identified with very low certainty of evidence. The COCP is frontline medical treatment in PCOS, but this is still based on established efficacy in the broader general population. Our results show that research in PCOS is seriously lacking and should be prioritised to capture core reproductive, metabolic and psychological outcomes important in PCOS.
Study context
- Population
- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)4 studies
- Comparison
- Combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP) vs no medical treatment
- Outcome
- Critical outcomes: hirsutism, irregular cycles, quality of life, BMI and weight
Methodological detailsno meta-analysis, 1660 publications identified; no studies could be combined for meta-analysis
- No meta-analysis
- 1660 publications identified; no studies could be combined for meta-analysis
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Cycle regularity
Further pooled results
| Outcome | MD (kg) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| WeightLower weight with COCP · very low certainty of evidence | −8.0 (−11.67); −4.33) | |
| −15−10−505Difference, kg (linear scale) |
| Outcome | MD (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of lifeImprovement with COCP · very low certainty of evidence | 1.2 (0.96]; 1.44) | |
| −1012Difference (linear scale) |
Hirsutism and body mass index (BMI)
- No difference in improvement of hirsutism or BMI with COCP vs placebo or lifestyle
- Very low certainty of evidence
Original publication
Combined oral contraceptive pill compared with no medical treatment in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 27 March 2023. doi:10.
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