Weight loss drugs could improve polycystic ovary syndrome: All you need to know
According to the Endocrine Society, an estimated 5-6 million women of reproductive age in the U.S. are affected by PCOS, which is frequently underdiagnosed. Caused by high levels of testosterone and androgens, polycystic ovary syndrome leads to symptoms such as irregular periods, excess hair growth, acne, insulin resistance and more.
It is one of the leading causes of infertility and is strongly linked to metabolic issues, leading to weight gain and hormonal imbalance.
One would think a condition affecting such a huge number of women would have a treatment and medicine ready by now. However, when it comes to PCOS, a condition which also leads to other damaging conditions such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, there's no standard treatment. Mostly, women opt for birth control, lifestyle changes and a diabetes drug, Metformin, which helps with some symptoms.
However, now, a ray of light has come around in the form of popular weight loss drugs that are shockingly helping with improving PCOS. One of the many women who have experienced a positive result is Grace Hamilton, 27, who earlier had to battle problems like hair loss, heavy periods, inconsistent menstrual cycles, mental health problems and sudden weight loss.
After getting diagnosed with PCOS, she tried birth control and lifestyle changes, only to see limited improvements.
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It was in 2024 when Hamilton joined a trial examining the effects of GLP-1 drugs in PCOS patients. In October, she received her first dose of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic.
The results, as she said to CNBC were almost immediate with resumed periods, hair regrowth and improvement in depression and anxiety. 'I'm so glad that I stuck with it because it was just clear as day that it was the missing link for me,' said Hamilton, adding that she also maintained a diet and exercise regimen.
Are weight loss drugs really the answer?
Image credits: Getty Images
Some health experts see huge potential in GLP-1, particularly in their effect on improving weight loss and insulin sensitivity. 'The unmet need is massive,' said Dr. Melanie Cree, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, to CNBC. 'Primary therapies used for PCOS symptoms haven't changed in nearly 50 years.'
Cree has been studying the effects of GLP-1 in adolescents with PCOS for more than 10 years.
She previously studied the oral form of semaglutide and now has an ongoing clinical trial with the injectable version, which worked well for patients like Hamilton.
Her trial began in 2023 with girls and women between the ages of 12-35 with obesity and PCOS who are on or off Metformin. Semaglutide was administered to the patients for 10 months to analyse their weight loss, metabolic changes and reproductive functions.
The initial data included 11 women who completed the 10-month trial and were not on Metformin. 8 of these lost more than 10% of their body weight and saw a reduction in their hormone levels. Six of the 8 women even reported more regular periods.
However, her study group is much smaller compared to the studies done on the popular weight loss drugs, and the results did not show similar effects on everyone. Here, the importance of conducting larger and longer trials on the same is important.
This is because the potential for GLP-1 to cause relief in various PCOS symptoms remains. In previous studies, it has been found that in adults with PCOS, losing even 5% of body weight can improve insulin sensitivity. Thus, the body can respond better to insulin, and the pancreas doesn't need to pump out more insulin to keep the blood sugar in check. This will lower insulin levels, in turn lowering the production of testosterone and reducing symptoms of irregular period, acne and excess hair growth.
Semaglutide not only improves insulin sensitivity but also reduces appetite by slowing how quickly the food leaves the stomach, prompting the pancreas to release insulin when the blood sugar is high and suppressing the release of a hormone that elevates blood sugar.
Not only trials, a recent survey of 1700 people by the birth control app Natural Cycles, revealed that 64% of women with PCOS who took GLP-1 reported more predictable periods, and 20% reported that their bleeding days were shorter.
Now, what is needed is a much larger research study on the subject to analyse its effects and see if it can be administered to all women with PCOS.
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