Trial reportThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2011
Effects of simvastatin and metformin on polycystic ovary syndrome after six months of treatment.
Trial report in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.
- Statins for women with polycystic ovary syndrome not actively trying to conceive.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- The effects of statins on hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2021Pooled it
- Metformin Therapy for Acne in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2021Pooled it
- The Effect of Statins on Levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2019Pooled it
- Impact of metformin on C-reactive protein levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis.Oncotarget · 2017 · on this mapPooled it
- Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- An investigation into the therapeutic effects of statins with metformin on polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.BMJ open · 2015 · on this mapPooled it
- Pilot randomized trial of short-term changes in inflammation and lipid levels during and after aspirin and pravastatin therapy.Reproductive health · 2019Trial
- Metformin improves endotoxemia and alters folliculogenesis in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Endocrine connections · 2026Article
- Bridging gap in treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome through drug repurposing: what we achieved and where we are?Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Review
- Statins for polycystic ovary syndrome in varying resource settings: a phenome-wide association study and evidence synthesis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of metformin as an adjunctive therapy in Parkinson's disease.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- The Current and Emerging Role of Statins in the Treatment of PCOS: The Evidence to Date.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Review
- The Effect of Metformin on Plasma Prolactin Levels in Young Women with Autoimmune Thyroiditis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Low temperature plasma protects against inflammatory agents-mediated dysfunction of theca cells via enhancing MANF expression.Molecular biology reports · 2023Article
- Rosuvastatin Potentiates Gonadotropin-Lowering Effects of Metformin in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study.Pharmacology · 2023Article
- Gene profiling reveals the role of inflammation, abnormal uterine muscle contraction and vascularity in recurrent implantation failure.Frontiers in genetics · 2023Article
- Ibuprofen Reduces Testosterone Level in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2022Article
- Cabergoline-Induced Hypoprolactinemia May Attenuate Cardiometabolic Effects of Atorvastatin: A Pilot Study.Cardiology · 2022Article
- Ibuprofen inhibits key genes involved in androgen production in theca-interstitial cells.F&S science · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
contextA randomized trial on women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared simvastatin, metformin, and a combination of these drugs.
objectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate long-term effects of simvastatin and metformin on PCOS.
designWomen with PCOS (n = 139) were randomized to simvastatin (S), metformin (M), or simvastatin plus metformin (SM) groups. Evaluations were performed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months.
settingThe study was conducted at a university medical center. PRIMARY OUTCOME: We measured the change of serum total testosterone.
resultsNinety-seven subjects completed the study. Total testosterone decreased significantly and comparably in all groups: by 25.6, 25.6, and 20.1% in the S, M, and SM groups, respectively. Both simvastatin and metformin improved menstrual cyclicity and decreased hirsutism, acne, ovarian volume, body mass index, C-reactive protein, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate declined significantly only in the S group. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly declined only in the S and SM groups. Ongoing reduction of ovarian volume, decreased hirsutism, acne and testosterone were observed between 0 and 3 months as well as between 3 and 6 months. Improvement of lipid profile, C-reactive protein, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 occurred only during the first 3 months of treatment, with little change thereafter. Treatments were well tolerated, and no significant adverse effects were encountered.
conclusionsLong-term treatment with simvastatin was superior to metformin. Improvement of ovarian hyperandrogenism continued throughout the duration of the study.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.