HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: dc07-0642v1 30/9/2309    most recent Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Luque-Ramírez, M. Articles by Escobar-Morreale, H. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Luque-Ramírez, M. Articles by Escobar-Morreale, H. F. Social Bookmarking                What's this?

The increased body iron stores of obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome are a consequence of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism, and do not result from reduced menstrual losses.

Endocrinology and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal & Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

hescobarm.hrc{at}salud.madrid.org

ABSTRACT

Objective:Increased serum ferritin levels, indicating increased body iron stores, have been found in overweight and obese PCOS women. This finding might result from the reduced menstrual losses secondary to from oligo- or amenorrhea, or from the hyperinsulinism secondary to insulin resistance because insulin favors the intestinal absorption and the tissue deposition of iron. To explore which of these mechanisms is responsible for the increase in body iron stores in PCOS women, we have monitored the changes in serum ferritin levels during treatment with an antiandrogenic oral contraceptive or with an insulin sensitizer.

Research Design and Methods:Thirty-four consecutive PCOS patients were randomized to an oral contraceptive containing 35 µg of ethinyl-estradiol plus 2 mg of cyproterone acetate (Diane³⁵ Diario) or metformin (850 mg twice daily), and their serum ferritin levels were evaluated at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment.

Results:Despite the fact that treatment with Diane³⁵ Diario restored regular menstrual cycles in all the patients, whereas metformin only did so in 50% of them, serum ferritin levels decreased at 12 and 24 weeks of treatment only with metformin, in association with a marked increase in insulin sensitivity. On the contrary, no changes in ferritin and insulin sensitivity were observed with Diane³⁵ Diario.

Conclusions:Our present results suggest that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism, and not the reduced menstrual losses secondary to from oligo- or amenorrhea, are responsible of the increased ferritin levels and body iron stores found in overweight and obese PCOS women.

CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Luque-Ramirez, F. Alvarez-Blasco, M. G. Uriol Rivera, and H. F. Escobar-Morreale Serum uric acid concentration as non-classic cardiovascular risk factor in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: effect of treatment with ethinyl-estradiol plus cyproterone acetate versus metformin Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2008; 23(7): 1594 - 1601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Raskauskas, R. A. Fisken, G. Targher, G. Lippi, P. Moghetti, L. Mascitelli, F. Pezzetta, M. R. Goldstein, and J. E. Nestler Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome N. Engl. J. Med., April 24, 2008; 358(17): 1866 - 1868. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Mascitelli and F. Pezzetta Does metformin improve polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms through reduction in body iron stores? Eur. J. Endocrinol., March 1, 2008; 158(3): 439 - 439. [Full Text] [PDF]