Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of letrozole on ovulation induction and pregnancy in infertility patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In addition, the insulin resistance was analyzed in these patients.Subjects and methods: Progressive description study with comparison. The study included 80 infertility women divided into two groups: 40 women with PCOS (the study group) and 40 women without PCOS (the control group). The both used letrozole for ovulation induction from cycle day 2.Results: No differences in the dominant follicle between the study group and the control group (1.16 ± 0.37 follicles and 1.30 ± 0.46 follicles, respectively). The clinical pregnancy rate was 22.5% of the both groups. The average insulin of the study group (10.85 ± 5.84 µUI/ml) and their average HOMA-IR (2.42 ± 1.34) were higher than the control group (7.44 ± 2.84 µUI/ml and 1.57 ± 0.68), p < .05. The QUICKI of the study group (0.35 ± 0.29) was lower than the control group (0.36 ± 0.25), p < .05.Conclusion: Letrozole is used to stimulate the ovaries of the infertile women with PCOS combined with intrauterine insemination is the effective treatment. These patients had the high risk of insulin resistance.
Keywords: AI (aromatase inhibitor); IUI (intrauterine insemination); insulin resistance; letrozole; polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).