Comparative Study of Metformin Versus Clomiphine Citrate for Ovulation Induction in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome at Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore

Abstract

Background:  Metformin has given quite encouraging results in a number of patients improving overall ova-rian health and inducing pregnancies. Objective:  The Purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of combined treatment regimen Met-formin and Clomiphene citrate with Clomiphene cit-rate alone for ovulation induction.

Methodology:  This randomized controlled trial was conducted over a period of 2 years from Jan. 2008 to Jan 2010. This study includes prospective analysis of PCOS subjects, who were treated in Gynaecological unit II of Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore. Two hun-dred subjects were recruited and then divided rando-mly into two groups, A and B. Group A, included one hundred patients (50%) who were treated with clomi-phine citrate only while Group B, included one hun-dred patients who were treated with Metformin and clomiphine citrate both. The collected data was ente-red into SPSS version 17 and were analysed accordin-gly applying descriptive statistics e.g. mean, frequency and analytical e.g. t-test and Chi Square.

Results:  Mean age at presentation of group-A was 26.52 ± 0.23 which when compared with that of gro-up – B 26.17 ± 0.25 did not differ statistically (P-Value = 0.306 – in significant). Similarly age at mena-rche of group A (CC) 12.82 ± 0.08 did not show statis-tical difference when compared with that of group – B (CC + met) 13.04 ± 0.11 (P-Value = 0.123 – insignifi-cant) or > 0.05. As for as duration of infertility was concerned it was 5.28 ± 0.27 yrs for group – A and 4.99 ± 0.20 years, for group – B. Overall, 125 (62.5%) women ovulated, out of which 46 (36.8%) were from Group – A while 79 (63.2) were from Group – B).

Conclusion:  Metformin may be a therapeutic option for PCOS based on improvement in laboratory and clinical parameters. Our results also establish guide-lines for metformin treatment with special implication on non-obese patients. It should be recommended for being effective as well as ecnomical.

Key words:  Polycystic ovary, Metformin and Clomi-phene citrate.