December 4, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Researchers at UAB are studying whether a medication traditionally used to treat diabetes can help infertile women become pregnant without increasing the risk of multiple pregnancy that occurs with other fertility treatments.

“Earlier studies have shown that an abnormality in how the body uses insulin may account for many of the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including one of the most common – infertility,” said Dr. Michael Steinkampf, ob-gyn and director of the UAB Department of Reproductive Endocrinology. “The standard treatments to help women with PCOS achieve pregnancy also increase the risk of multiple birth. We hope that by lowering insulin and improving the way the body uses it – much the same way we would do in diabetes – the effect will help women with PCOS ovulate spontaneously.”

Researchers at eight academic medical centers, including UAB, hope to enroll 678 women with infertility due to PCOS who are trying to become pregnant. Researchers will compare the effectiveness of clomiphene, a drug commonly used to treat infertility, to that of metformin, a drug used to treat diabetic patients. They will also compare the effectiveness when patients take a combination of both drugs.

In polycystic ovary syndrome, an excess of male hormones interferes with normal ovulation and other body systems. In addition to infertility, PCOS symptoms can include irregular menstrual periods, excessive body and facial hair, acne and obesity. Up to 10 percent of women of reproductive age have PCOS, although it often goes undiagnosed until women experience difficulty conceiving. Women wishing to take part in the study should be between 19 and 39 years old and have eight or fewer periods a year, or periods that are more than 45 days apart. For more information, contact coordinator Laticia Woodruff, R.N., M.S.N., at 205-801-8780.