Effectiveness of Lifestyle Modification in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients with Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

(1) Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility and endocrine disorders among women of reproductive age. Previous studies have employed lifestyle interventions to manage anovulatory infertility and endocrine disorders. However, the effect of lifestyle interventions on the metabolic index remains ambiguous; (2) Methods: Data were obtained through a systematic search of the Ovid-Medline, Ovid-EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Two reviewers independently reviewed the literature in two stages. A consensus was achieved through discussions regarding the final selection of the literature; (3) Results: This study observed that the group that underwent lifestyle modifications displayed significant improvement in reproductive function compared to the control group. Combination therapy with diet and exercise resulted in improved fasting insulin levels, compared to monotherapy with diet or exercise. Moreover, moderate weight loss (a minimum of 5%) resulted in an improved metabolic index. The subgroup analysis revealed that the group that underwent lifestyle modifications had a significantly higher number of patients with improved menstrual cycles, compared to the control groups; (4) Conclusions: Lifestyle modification using combination therapy is a promising therapeutic approach that can be employed in the management of PCOS patients with obesity. This scenario warrants further studies with larger sample sizes to develop ideal treatment protocols.