The impact of combined use of probiotics and metformin on metabolic parameters in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

This study amed to investigate the combined use of probiotics and metformin on metabolic parameters in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 138 patients with PCOS were retrospectively included from January to December 2023 and divided into metformin (<i>n</i> = 70) and probiotics-metformin combination (<i>n</i> = 68) groups based on their clinical treatment regimens. After the three-month intervention, the combination group showed significantly greater improvements compared to the metformin group in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (<i>p</i> < 0.001), insulin levels (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and adiponectin levels (<i>p</i> = 0.033). The combination group also exhibited more significant reductions in weight (<i>p</i> = 0.006), waist circumference (<i>p</i> = 0.037), hip circumference (<i>p</i> = 0.044), and waist-hip ratio (<i>p</i> = 0.031). No significant differences were observed between the groups in changes to other metabolic parameters, hormonal profiles, inflammatory markers, or quality of life assessments (<i>p</i> > 0.05). This retrospective pilot study suggests that the addition of probiotics to metformin therapy may improve HDL levels, insulin sensitivity, anthropometric measurements, and adiponectin levels compared to metformin alone in patients with PCOS.