Myo-inositol in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and positioning of its use

Introduction: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease among women of reproductive age 6 to 15% its presentation is complex and heterogeneous and is characterized by clinical and laboratory findings of hyperandrogenism, oligo-anovulation, metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance (IR), overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: To evaluate the effects of myo-inositol in pregnant and non-pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome in relation to fertility improvement, gestational outcomes, and metabolic and hormonal parameters. Methods: Data from randomized clinical trials on the efficacy of myo-inositol in women with PCOS were used in this review. The PubMed database was used for literature search. Results: Insulin resistance is one of the mechanisms that explain the emergence of metabolic and reproductive changes in women with PCOS. When compared to placebo, myo-inositol was effective in improving fertility, increasing ovulation and fertilization rates, in addition to improving metabolic parameters as indicators of insulin resistance (HOMA index). Even when compared to more traditional insulin sensitizers like metformin, myoinositol showed similar efficacy in restoring fertility. Myo-inositol was also effective when associated with clomiphene acetate and in women undergoing in vitro fertilization processes. There was also an improvement in pregnancy outcomes and a reduction in the risk of developing gestational diabetes with the use of myo-inositol. Conclusions: Myo-inositol improves clinical and laboratory parameters in both pregnant and non-pregnant PCOS patients, increasing the fertility rate and improving pregnancy outcomes.