Diane 35 and Weight Gain in PCOS

KatCarney · 09-25-2008, 02:58 PM

Endocr Regul. 2006 Dec;40(4):119-23. Links

Weight change and androgen levels during contraceptive treatment of women affected by polycystic ovary.

Vrbikova J, Dvorakova K, Hill M, Starka L.
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, 116 94 Czech Republic. JVRBIKOVA@ENDO.CZ

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oral contraceptive Diane 35 (ethinylestradiol + cyproteroneacetate EE/CPA) which is widely used in the treatment of PCOS in Europe, on body weight, lipid levels and endocrine parameters in non-obese women with PCOS.

CONCLUSIONS: Increase of body weight in a significant number of PCOS-affected women was seen after treatment with Diane 35 and it is assumed to blunt ameliorating effects of this treatment on androgen levels. Considering our findings, we conclude that the treatment with CPA/EE can result in significant weight gain ameliorating positive effects of the treatment on androgen levels.

These findings could underline the necessity of the finding new therapeutical options for PCOS, besides contraception. Studies concerning body composition during contraceptive treatment in PCOS would be also useful in the future.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Nineteen PCOS women were examined in the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle, blood samples for the estimation of cholesterol (C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were taken before the start of treatment with Diane 35 and again after 7 +/- 3.8 months of treatment with Diane 35. Body weight (W) was recorded at the time of both examinations.

RESULTS: After the treatment with Diane 35 the levels of W (p<0.05), total C (p<0.05), TG (p<0.004) and SHBG (p<0.0001) increased significantly. In addition, significant negative correlation between SHBG levels before treatment and increase of W after Diane 35 was found (r= -0.56; p<0.02). Increase of W correlated negatively with T before treatment (r= 0.58; p< .02) and positively with the change in T level after treatment (r=0.50; p<0.05).