Acupuncture or Metformin for Insulin Resistance in Women With PCOS
Acupuncture or Metformin for Insulin Resistance in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Karolinska Institutet
303 participants
Dec 1, 2015
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The hypothesis is that acupuncture is equally effective as metformin (both treatments combined with lifestyle management) in improving whole body glucose homeostasis in insulin resistant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and that both are superior to lifestyle management alone. The investigators hypothesize that acupuncture and metformin induce ovulation and improve hyperandrogenism, as well as health related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Although equally effective (acupuncture and metformin), the investigators hypothesize that acupuncture is associated with less negative side-effects. The investigators also hypothesize that these treatments have the potential to restore epigenetic and molecular alterations in target tissues (endometrial-, adipose-, and skeletal muscle tissue) and thus have the potential to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Eligibility
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Interventions
All women will receive lifestyle management instructions at the baseline visit, before randomization. The lifestyle management involves one initial counselling session in connection with the baseline visit, which includes information about the importance of weight management, healthy diet and physical activity.
Disposable, single-use, sterilized CE marked needles made of stainless steel, 0.25 x 30 mm and 0.30 x 40/50 mm will be inserted to a depth of 15-40 mm in segmental acupuncture points located in abdominal and leg muscles, with innervations corresponding to the ovaries and the pancreas. Two sets of acupuncture points will be alternated every second treatment.
Oral metformin 500 mg three times daily, in total 1500 mg per day. To reduce gastrointestinal side-effects of metformin, the dose will be slowly escalated starting with 500 mg daily during the first week, increasing to 500 mg twice per day during the second the week, and 500 mg three times daily, morning, lunch and dinner from the third week in total 16 weeks including the 3 weeks step-up phase (i.e. 4 months).
Locations(2)
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NCT02647827