TY - JOUR
T1 - Insulin sensitizers for the treatment of hirsutism
T2 - A systematic review and metaanalyses of randomized controlled trials
AU - Cosma, Mihaela
AU - Swiglo, Brian A.
AU - Flynn, David N.
AU - Kurtz, David M.
AU - LaBella, Matthew L.
AU - Mullan, Rebecca J.
AU - Elamin, Mohamed B.
AU - Erwin, Patricia J.
AU - Montori, Victor M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by a contract from The Endocrine Society.
PY - 2008/4
Y1 - 2008/4
N2 - Context: Insulin sensitizers, including metformin and thiazolidinediones (TZDs), improve hyperinsulinemia and reproductive dysfunctions in some women with hyperandrogenism. The extent to which these agents improve hirsutism remains unclear. Objective: Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and metaanalyses of randomized controlled trials of metformin or TZDs for the treatment of hirsutism. Data Sources: We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL (up to May 2006). Review of reference lists and contact with hirsutism experts further identified candidate trials. Study Selection: Reviewers working independently and in duplicate, with acceptable chance-adjusted agreement (κ = 0.72), determined trial eligibility. Eligible trials randomly assigned women with hirsutism to at least 6 months of insulin sensitizers or control and measured hirsutism outcomes. Data Extraction: Reviewers working independently and in duplicate determined the methodological quality of trials and collected data on patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Data Synthesis: Of 348 candidate studies, 16 trials (22 comparisons) were eligible. The methodological quality of these trials was low. Random-effects metaanalyses showed a small decrease in Ferriman-Gallwey scores in women treated with insulin sensitizers compared with placebo [pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) of -1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), -2.8 to -0.2; inconsistency (I2) = 75%]. There was no significant difference between insulin sensitizers and oral contraceptives (WMD of -0.5; CI, -5.0, 3.9; I2 = 79%). Metformin was inferior to both spironolactone (WMD of 1.3; CI, 0.03, 2.6) and flutamide (WMD of 5.0; CI, 3.0, 7.0; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: Imprecise and inconsistent evidence of low to very low quality suggests that insulin sensitizers provide limited or no important benefit for women with hirsutism.
AB - Context: Insulin sensitizers, including metformin and thiazolidinediones (TZDs), improve hyperinsulinemia and reproductive dysfunctions in some women with hyperandrogenism. The extent to which these agents improve hirsutism remains unclear. Objective: Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and metaanalyses of randomized controlled trials of metformin or TZDs for the treatment of hirsutism. Data Sources: We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL (up to May 2006). Review of reference lists and contact with hirsutism experts further identified candidate trials. Study Selection: Reviewers working independently and in duplicate, with acceptable chance-adjusted agreement (κ = 0.72), determined trial eligibility. Eligible trials randomly assigned women with hirsutism to at least 6 months of insulin sensitizers or control and measured hirsutism outcomes. Data Extraction: Reviewers working independently and in duplicate determined the methodological quality of trials and collected data on patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Data Synthesis: Of 348 candidate studies, 16 trials (22 comparisons) were eligible. The methodological quality of these trials was low. Random-effects metaanalyses showed a small decrease in Ferriman-Gallwey scores in women treated with insulin sensitizers compared with placebo [pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) of -1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), -2.8 to -0.2; inconsistency (I2) = 75%]. There was no significant difference between insulin sensitizers and oral contraceptives (WMD of -0.5; CI, -5.0, 3.9; I2 = 79%). Metformin was inferior to both spironolactone (WMD of 1.3; CI, 0.03, 2.6) and flutamide (WMD of 5.0; CI, 3.0, 7.0; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: Imprecise and inconsistent evidence of low to very low quality suggests that insulin sensitizers provide limited or no important benefit for women with hirsutism.
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U2 - 10.1210/jc.2007-2429
DO - 10.1210/jc.2007-2429
M3 - Review article
C2 - 18252787
AN - SCOPUS:42049117597
SN - 0021-972X
VL - 93
SP - 1135
EP - 1142
JO - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
IS - 4
ER -