Serum free fatty acid levels in PCOS patients treated with glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2013 May;29(5):474-7. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2013.769515. Epub 2013 Mar 6.

Abstract

To assess the effect of glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone in altering free fatty acids (FFAs), 36 PCOS women were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 14) was treated with 500 mg glucophage po bid, group 2 (n = 10) was treated with 400 mg magnesium oxide po bid and group 3 (n = 12) was treated with 50 mg spironolactone po bid for 12 weeks. A glucose tolerance test with 75 g glucose load was performed before and after treatment, collecting blood at 0, 1 and 2 h for insulin, glucose, FFA and aldosterone. Amount of FFA before and after treatment were compared by repeated measure ANOVA and represented as area under the curve. FFA levels before treatment were 0.83 ± 0.23, 0.77 ± 0.15 and 0.85 ± 0.28 and after treatment were 0.77 ± 0.48, 0.71 ± 0.18 and 0.66 ± 0.25 for glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone-treated patients, respectively. The FFA levels were unchanged in the groups treated with glucophage and magnesium oxide but were significantly (p < 0.03) decreased in the group treated with spironolactone. Since FFAs are known to be involved in the development of insulin resistance, these results suggest that spironolactone may be useful for lowering insulin resistance in PCOS patients.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aldosterone / blood
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / blood*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Magnesium Oxide / therapeutic use
  • Metformin / therapeutic use*
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / blood
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Spironolactone / therapeutic use*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists
  • Spironolactone
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Aldosterone
  • Metformin