PCOS.

INTRODUCTION: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is diagnosed in up to 10% of women attending gynaecology clinics, but the prevalence in the population as a whole is unclear. PCOS has been associated with hirsutism, infertility, acne, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and endometrial hyperplasia.

METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to December 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

RESULTS: We found 24 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.

CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: finasteride, flutamide, metformin, spironolactone, cyproterone acetate-ethinylestradiol (co-cyprindiol), interventions to achieve weight loss, ketoconazole, and mechanical hair removal.