Treatment with the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, which is marketed under the trade name Avandia, can restore ovulation in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a disease involving high levels of male hormones resulting in fertility and menstrual problems, new research shows.

Metformin, another diabetes drug that can restore ovarian function, is associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects and is not effective in obese women with PCOS, Drs. Vicken Sepilian and Manubai Nagamani, from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, note.

They therefore tested rosiglitazone as an alternative treatment in 12 obese women with PCOS, according to the report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Unlike metformin, rosiglitazone belongs to a group of drugs called thiazolidinediones, which work by making the body more sensitive to insulin, the key hormone that lowers blood sugar levels.

Ovulation was restored in 11 of the 12 women, with spontaneous menstruation occurring within the first 3 months of treatment, the authors note. Moreover, a dramatic drop in blood levels of the potent male hormone testosterone occurred. As expected, the patients also experienced an improvement in their sensitivity to insulin.

Thiazolidinediones, the researchers conclude “may be the ideal treatment for obese PCOS women with (poor insulin sensitivity) who desire fertility.” However, they note that rosiglitazone should be discontinued if a patient becomes pregnant.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, October 2004.