Study: Contraceptive Pill Can Cut T2D Risk in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The results of a recent study show that the combination contraceptive pill can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by more than one-fourth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to investigators at the University of Birmingham in England. Furthermore, the results show that women with PCOS have twice the risk of developing prediabetes or T2D, which highlights the need to find treatments to reduce this risk.

The research team conducted 2 studies to identify the risk of prediabetes and T2D in women with PCOS and to investigate the impact of the use of combined oral contraceptives on the risk of prediabetes and T2D in women with PCOS. The team used United Kingdom general practitioner records of 64,051 women with PCOS and 123,545 matched control women without PCOS to conduct a large population-based cohort study to analyze the risk of prediabetes and T2D. The team discovered that women with PCOS had twice the risk developing prediabetes or T2D than those without PCOS. Excessive hair growth was also discovered as a significant risk factor for prediabetes and T2D among women with PCOS, according to a statement.

The pill’s impact was further analyzed in a case control study of 4814 women with PCOS, which found that the use of combined oral contraceptives reduced the odds of developing prediabetes and T2D in women with PCOS by 26%.

Reference

Contraceptive pill can reduce type 2 diabetes risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, finds study. University of Birmingham. October 15, 2021. Accessed January 10, 2022. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2021/10/pill-contraception-diabetes-polycystic-pcos.aspx