Weight Loss and Exercise Discovered to be the New Approach in Resolving

As per the Mayo Clinic, polycystic ovary syndrome is a common endocrine disorder among women, and the most common cause of infertility.

Scientists have discovered that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) could maximize their chances of ovulation by adhering to weight loss programs and exercise. However, in the group where women were asked to incorporate both a healthy diet, exercise and birth control, a total of 13 women (26%) were able to give birth.

Compared with the pill group, the lifestyle and combined groups achieved weight loss (P .0001) and a decrease in waist circumference (P =.03) after intervention.

PCOS has been described as a condition that causes a woman’s body to produce higher than normal amounts of testosterone and other sex hormones that are naturally associated with male characteristics.

“The findings confirm what we have long suspected – that exercise and a healthy diet can improve fertility in women who have PCOS”, said lead author Richard S. Legro, MD, Vice Chair of Research and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. Symptoms of the condition include pelvic pain, excess hair growth, weight gain and acne, as well as irregular menstrual periods and infertility. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, as many as 5 million women have PCOS nationwide.

The combined arm combined lifestyle changes with oral contraceptives.The preconception intervention lasted for 16 weeks and was followed by medically induced ovulation combined with timed intercourse. The study looked at 149 participants from ages 18 to 40, who underwent a short-term birth control treatment, and carried out lifestyle changes like increased levels of exercise and an improved diet over a period of four months.

Out of the 49 women that were administered with just birth control measures without being instructed to incorporate lifestyle changes, only five women (10%) were able to give birth. Those who are undergoing therapies need to combine lifestyle changes that can bring about positive results in women suffering from PCOS. They were then randomly assigned to three groups: group A took birth control pills alone, group B had lifestyle modification, while group C had both lifestyle modification and birth control pills. The adverse effects on the metabolism are eliminated when one exercises and makes lifestyle changes to counter obesity. “In contrast, using oral contraceptives alone may worsen the metabolic profile without improving ovulation”.