A new study from the University of Pennsylvania brings relief to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
It shows that taking birth control pills—either alone or with the diabetes drug metformin—does not increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, even in women who are overweight.
This finding is important because metabolic syndrome can lead to heart disease and diabetes, two major health concerns for people with PCOS.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects about 5 to 6 million women. It’s the most common cause of infertility in women and causes symptoms like irregular periods, acne, unwanted hair growth, and weight gain.
PCOS is also linked to higher risks of diabetes and heart disease. This happens because of a hormone imbalance where the ovaries make too much androgen, a male hormone, due to signals from the brain going off track.
Doctors often treat PCOS with birth control pills to regulate hormone levels. But in the past, some experts worried that birth control might make things worse by increasing blood sugar, raising blood pressure, or causing insulin resistance—especially in women who are already overweight.
To reduce these risks, doctors sometimes added metformin to the treatment plan. Metformin is usually used to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. But does combining both drugs really help? This study aimed to find out.
The study involved 240 women who had PCOS and a high body mass index (BMI), which means they were overweight. These women were divided into three groups. One group took birth control pills alone, one took only metformin, and the third group took both medications. They followed their treatment for 24 weeks.
At the end of the study, researchers found something surprising. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome was about the same in all three groups. In other words, birth control pills did not increase that risk at all.
Even better, women who took only birth control pills lost a little weight, had a smaller waist size, and had less belly fat by the end of the study. This is a big deal because many women with PCOS struggle with weight, especially around the middle of the body.
Metformin did not show benefits in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome. In fact, many women who took metformin experienced stomach problems like diarrhea. They were also more likely to skip doses of the drug because of the side effects.
Lead researcher Dr. Anuja Dokras said this study can help doctors make better treatment decisions right away. She explained that birth control pills are a safe and effective first step for managing PCOS symptoms—even for women who are overweight. She also noted that birth control helped improve emotional well-being and did not lead to weight gain.
This was the first study to look at the full picture of metabolic syndrome instead of just one risk factor. While more long-term studies are needed, these results suggest that birth control pills can be a simpler, safer option for many women with PCOS.
Future research will explore how these findings apply to different populations and age groups and will include mental health and heart health outcomes.
This study offers hope for women looking to manage PCOS more easily, with fewer medications and fewer side effects.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
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The study is published in PLOS Medicine.
