Effects of carnitine on glucose and lipid metabolic profiles and fertility outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors' conclusion
With the available literature, carnitine seems to improve ovulation and clinical pregnancy and insulin resistance, BMI in women with PCOS. These effects are warranted to be further validated, due to insufficient statistical power.
Study context
- Population
- Women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosed by Rotterdam or Androgen Excess Society (AES) criteria
- Participants
- 839 women
- Comparison
- Carnitine vs placebo
- Outcome
- Ovulation and pregnancy rates
Methodological detailsPublication bias was absent
- Publication bias was absent
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Carnitine vs PlaceboRelative risk (95% CI)
Ovulation; I2 = 0%
3.42(2.39–4.89)
Pregnancy; I2 = 79%
11.05(1.21–100.58)
Further pooled results
| Outcome | MD (kg/m²) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| BMI, insulin and HOMA-IR (change from baseline) · after treatmentCarnitinevs PlaceboBMI; I2 = 55.0% | −0.93 (−1.15 to −0.70) | |
| −1.5−1−0.500.5Difference, kg/m² (linear scale) |
| Outcome | MD (mIU/L) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| BMI, insulin and HOMA-IR (change from baseline) · after treatmentCarnitinevs PlaceboInsulin; I2 = 0% | −2.47 (−4.49 to −0.45) | |
| −6−4−202Difference, mIU/L (linear scale) |
| Outcome | MD (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| BMI, insulin and HOMA-IR (change from baseline) · after treatmentCarnitinevs PlaceboHOMA index; I2 = 0% | −0.67 (−1.20 to −0.14) | |
| −1.5−1−0.500.5Difference (linear scale) |
Body mass index (BMI), insulin and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) (change from baseline) · after treatment
- No significant reduction in triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-C
Original publication
Effects of carnitine on glucose and lipid metabolic profiles and fertility outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 17 February 2023. doi:10.
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