LeeDawson

B-vitamins alongside metformin beneficial in PCOS
Source: Human Reproduction 2005; 20: 1521-8

Examining the impact of B-vitamins and folic acid on homocysteine levels in polycystic ovary syndrome patients taking metformin.


Supplementation with B-vitamins such as folic acid counteracts the increased plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels—an established risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease—associated with metformin therapy for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), research shows.

As B-vitamins including folic acid are each cofactors in Hcy metabolism, Esra Bulgan Kilicdag (Hakan Burak Apt Kat, Adana, Turkey) and co-workers assessed how the two types of supplement would affect Hcy levels in PCOS patients receiving short-term metformin therapy.

For the study, 60 PCOS patients were randomly assigned to receive twice-daily metformin therapy, alone or in combination with B-group vitamins or folic acid alone, for 3 months. At the beginning and end of the study, the patients' lipid profiles and plasma levels of Hcy, vitamin B12, folic acid, and glucose were assessed.

Women using metformin alone experienced a 26.5 percent increase in plasma Hcy levels, on average, during the study. Conversely, decreases in Hcy concentration, of 21.2 percent and 8.3 percent, were detected in those taking B-group vitamins or folic acid, respectively, alongside metformin therapy. Reassuringly, no significant differences in insulin sensitivity were detected among the three groups.

"In our study, both B-group vitamins and folic acid decreased Hcy levels," write the researchers. "B-group vitamins are likely more effective than folic acid for lowering Hcy levels."

Posted: 31 May 2005

http://www.obgynworld.com/international/news/2005/Week_22/Day_2/B-vitamins_alongside.asp

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