Metformin in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic condition in which a woman does not or rarely ovulates, i.e. a mature egg does not leave the ovary for fertilization by sperm. Depending on the period of a woman's life, the clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment tactics of the disease vary. PCOS has a complex of reproductive, metabolic and psychological characteristics. PCOS is the most common endocrine disease, which occurs in 5-20% of girls of childbearing age. It is evidenced by the presence of any two main criteria: an excess of male sex hormones produced in the ovaries — manifested in the form of external signs (seborrhea, male-type hair loss, acne, hair loss) and/or laboratory increase in androgen levels; long non-onset of ovulation (oligoovulation) or its complete absence; distinctive polycystic changes in the ovaries, detected by ultrasound examination (ultrasound). One of the ways to treat this syndrome is the treatment of insulin resistance. The most well—studied drug that reduces the need for insulin in PCOS is metformin, the properties and mechanism of action of which I will consider in this article.