The Impact of Low-Calorie Dietary Patterns on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Insulin Resistance

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder characterized by insulin resistance (IR), affecting 5.61% of reproductive-aged women in China, with over half exhibiting IR. Current treatments focus on individualized management, but optimal therapeutic strategies remain unclear. This article further analyzes the therapeutic effects and impact of low-calorie dietary patterns (LCDs) as adjuvant therapy for PCOS with IR. The findings demonstrate that LCDs exemplified by intermittent fasting (IF) and ketogenic diets (KD) significantly enhance weight management outcomes. By reducing caloric intake and optimizing metabolic status, these dietary approaches improve IR-related parameters, effectively reduce BMI, and increase insulin sensitivity, establishing their value as adjunct strategies within the integrated management of PCOS with IR. However, current applications of LCDs as adjuvant therapy still present limitations and challenges, including compromised patient compliance and a lack of longitudinal data on long-term efficacy. To address these challenges, future research should launch rigorous large-scale longitudinal studies to explore synergistic mechanisms combining LCDs with psychological interventions, with the goal of improving treatment adherence.