A systematic review of pregnancy outcomes and management in polycystic ovary syndrome.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines
PubMed 42202883 · doi:10.29063/ajrh2026/v30i10.11
What was done
Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the authors conducted a systematic review synthesizing literature published between 2014 and 2025 on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and pregnancy. The review examined the relationship between PCOS pathophysiology and reproductive outcomes, maternal and perinatal complications, and evidence-based clinical management and emerging interventions.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, odds ratios, relative risks, or pooled statistics. The narrative findings state that PCOS pathophysiology (hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and obesity) significantly increases risks of early pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia. Evidence-based strategies highlighted include the superiority of letrozole for ovulation induction, metabolic benefits of metformin, nuanced lifestyle interventions, and emerging targets such as Interleukin-22.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes modern evidence framing PCOS as a high-risk obstetric condition, emphasizing that standard prenatal care must incorporate early metabolic screening and multidisciplinary management rather than treating PCOS purely as a fertility disorder.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative effect sizes, confidence intervals, or meta-analytic data. Crucial review parameters—including the number of included studies (n), total patient count, specific search databases, and risk of bias assessments—are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- contradicts Seventy to eighty percent of women with PCOS do not ovulate.
- partial Polycystic ovary syndrome is the leading cause of infertility globally, and an estimated 90% of affected women remain undiagnosed.