What is cyproterone acetate?

Rosiglitazone and ethinyl estradiol/cyproterone acetate as single and combined treatment of overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance.

Lemay A,Dodin S,Turcot L,Dechene F,Forest JC.

Departement d'Obstetrique-Gynecologie, Centre de Recherche, Hopital St-Francois d'Assise, CHUQ, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada. andre.lemay@ogy.ulaval.ca

Background:

Few studies have evaluated insulin sensitizers in comparison/association with oral contraceptives (OC) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with insulin resistance (IR). This study assessed the effects of a thiazolidinedione versus an anti-androgenic estrogen-progestin followed by their sequential combinations in overweight PCOS women.

MethodsAND

Results:

Twenty-eight candidates in whom elevated insulin was not normalized after 4 months of diet were randomly assigned to 6 months of rosiglitazone 4 mg/day or to ethinyl estradiol 35 mg/cyproterone acetate 2 mg (EE/CPA: 21/28 days cycle). Each group then received both medications for another 6 months. Rosiglitazone reduced insulin, IR indices [homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and quantitative sensitivity check index (QUICKI)] and the insulin area under the curve in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), but had limited effect on lipids, androgens and hirsutism. EE/CPA did not modify insulin and OGTT response but increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides and decreased androgens and hirsutism. Similar changes occurred during combined treatments. End results were highly significant in combined groups without noticeable side effects or changes in safety parameters.

Conclusions:

In obese PCOS women with high insulin not corrected by diet, the combination of rosiglitazone and EE/CPA may be used to achieve complementary beneficial effects on endocrine-metabolic anomalies and clinical symptoms.

See Also:

Hirsutism

Alopecia

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