Clinical trial · Interventional
Metformin Treatment in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Effects of Metformin on Mitochondrial Function in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
PCOS occurs when a woman does not release an egg regularly each month, causing her periods to be irregular. Women with PCOS can also have increased hair growth on the face and body, acne, head balding, infertility, pre-diabetes, and diabetes. PCOS is commonly treated with oral contraceptive pills (also known as the birth control pills). Sometimes, a medication called metformin is also used to treat PCOS, especially if a woman has evidence of insulin resistance or if fertility is desired. Unfortunately, metformin works in only some women with PCOS. The mechanism through which metformin works in PCOS is not clear and it difficult to predict who will benefit from metformin treatment and who will not. The investigators are doing this research study to look at how the medication metformin affects the cells in the body of patients with PCOS. Specifically, the investigators will look at how metformin affects the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the part of cells that produce fuel (energy) for other cells and play a role in metabolism. The investigators would like to see whether there is a relationship between mitochondrial activity and symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) before and after treatment with metformin. They would also like to study whether genes affect the response to metformin in women with PCOS.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metformin ER | Drug | Metformin | ALIAS |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Metformin
- description
- Metformin ER 1500 mg per day treatment for 12 weeks
- interventionNames
- Drug: Metformin ER
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Muscle Metabolism/Mitochondrial Function
- timeFrame
- 3 months
- description
- The change in mitochondrial activity before and after metformin treatment will be analyzed in relationship to the clinical response to 3 months of metformin treatment (i.e., clinical response to metformin = changes in glucose metabolism, hormone levels, and ovulation response)
Secondary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Genetic risk variants affecting mitochondrial function/metabolism
- timeFrame
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 40 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Polycystic ovary syndrome * No hormonal or antidiabetic medications for 1 month * Good general health Exclusion Criteria: * Smoker * Acute infection or chronic disease * Diabetes * Pregnant or trying to get pregnant over next half year * Bleeding disorders * Any metal or foreign implants (e.g., aneurysm clips, ear implants, heart pacemakers or defibrillators)
References
Publications (1)
- BACKGROUNDPau CT, Keefe C, Duran J, Welt CK. Metformin improves glucose effectiveness, not insulin sensitivity: predicting treatment response in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in an open-label, interventional study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May;99(5):1870-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-4021. Epub 2014 Feb 25. PMID 24606093