Effect of clomifene citrate plus metformin and clomifene citrate plus placebo on induction of ovulation in women with newly diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome: randomised double blind clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of clomifene citrate plus metformin and clomifene citrate plus placebo in women with newly diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome.

Design: Randomised clinical trial.

Setting: Multicentre trial in 20 Dutch hospitals.

Participants: 228 women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Interventions: Clomifene citrate plus metformin or clomifene citrate plus placebo.

Main outcome measure: The primary outcome measure was ovulation. Secondary outcome measures were ongoing pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and clomifene resistance.

Results: 111 women were allocated to clomifene citrate plus metformin (metformin group) and 114 women were allocated to clomifene citrate plus placebo (placebo group). The ovulation rate in the metformin group was 64% compared with 72% in the placebo group, a non-significant difference (risk difference - 8%, 95% confidence interval - 20% to 4%). There were no significant differences in either rate of ongoing pregnancy (40% v 46%; - 6%, - 20% to 7%) or rate of spontaneous abortion (12% v 11%; 1%, - 7% to 10%). A significantly larger proportion of women in the metformin group discontinued treatment because of side effects (16% v 5%; 11%, 5% to 16%).

Conclusion: Metformin is not an effective addition to clomifene citrate as the primary method of inducing ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN55906981 [controlled-trials.com].

Figures

Fig 1

Overview of the clinical trial. Women shown as receiving 50 or 100 mg clomifene citrate received one to six cycles at the noted dose. Ovulatory=women with six ovulatory cycles in total, without pregnancy; temporarily ovulatory=women who ovulated on a certain dose of clomifene citrate at one point in the study and were anovulatory on the same dose at another point in the study. They were treated with a higher dose in the next dose