PCOS Review Newsletter #47

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.

Issue #047      September 11, 2007
Nancy Dunne, N.D., Naturopathic Physician
Bill Slater, Research Associate

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Metformin May Not Help if You Are Lean

2) Low-Tech Approach to Fertility: Just Relax

3) Eat Eggs for Breakfast and Control Your Weight

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1) Metformin May Not Help if You Are Lean

Are you a lean woman who has PCOS and who is taking metformin (Glucophage)? If so, there's some question as to whether this is an effective and appropriate therapy for you, according to new research.

The Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark just published a carefully designed study of 56 women, who were give metformin or a placebo for six months.

Neither group had a change in menstrual frequency. But those who were overweight and taking metformin had some weight loss, a drop in blood pressure, insulin resistance and testosterone. That's the good news.

The no-so-great news is that metformin did not appear to benefit the women who were non-obese. The less fat you are, the less effective metformin appears to be.

So if you are not overweight and are taking metformin, make sure you understand why you are taking it. After all, metformin does have side effects. Have your doctor explain to you why its benefits outweigh the risks.

Source:
Trolle B, et al, Efficacy of metformin in obese and non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial, Hum Reprod. 2007 Aug 31; [Epub ahead of print]

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2) Low-Tech Approach to Fertility: Just Relax

Chronic stress may keep some women from ovulating. Relaxation techniques or psychotherapy may be very helpful.

Researchers are examining how chronic stress alters brain signals into the hypothalamus, a control center in your brain that influences the production of hormones that talk to your ovaries and thus affect to your fertility.

A cascade of events, beginning with stress, leads to altered levels of hormones crucial for ovulation.

A recent study showed that women who did not ovulate had excessive levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Other studies have shown that women with PCOS tend to have higher cortisol levels than other women.

Chronic stress can definitely impair your ability to conceive.

Potential health consequences of stress-induced inability to ovulate may include an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression, other psychiatric conditions, and dementia, according to one research report.

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to control stress. Getting professional help from a therapist is one way. For example, a University of Pittsburgh study showed that ovulation was restored in 7 of 8 women who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, compared with 2 of 8 who did not get therapy.

For more ideas on how to control stress, refer to Chapter 14.2 in our book.

Please bear in mind that PCOS and infertility are due to a complex web of dysfunction involving many organs in your body, including ovaries, thyroid, adrenals, liver, pancreas and hypothalamus gland in your brain

Dependence on birth control pills, metformin, Clomid or IVF (in-vitro fertilization) may yield disappointing results because they are only a piecemeal approach to your complex situation.

You need to take a more comprehensive approach. Improved diet and reduced stress are two powerful things you can do to help yourself -- plus, they are inexpensive and don't have any side effects.

Improved diet and reduced stress help ALL of your organs move toward more normal function. Not only does this increase your fertility, it also greatly reduces the long-term risk of developing chronic diseases.

Source:
Berga, SL et al, Use of cognitive behavior therapy for functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Dec;1092:114-29
Berga, SL et al, Recovery of ovarian activity in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea who were treated with cognitive behavior therapy, Fertil Steril. 2003 Oct;80(4):976-81

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3) Eat Eggs for Breakfast and Control Your Weight

Do you have an issue with weight or excessive appetite?

If so, eating eggs instead of bagels or other refined carbohydrates for breakfast should help you.

Thirty overweight women were recently involved in a study at Saint Louis University. They consumed either an egg or bagel breakfast. The calories were the same in either breakfast.

Those who had eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied during the time between breakfast and lunch. They also consumed fewer calories of food over the next 36 hours.

Having eggs or other protein at breakfast is an excellent way to help control your appetite and your weight. Having some protein at every meal is also a good idea for helping to control any PCOS-related symptom.

Don't skip breakfast and don't have bagels or processed breakfast cereals.

We have breakfast suggestions in Chapter 13.1 of our diet book.

Sources:
Vander Wal JS, et al, Short-term effect of eggs on satiety in overweight and obese subjects, J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Dec;24(6):510-5

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Thought for Today: "Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." -- Norman Vincent Peale

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