Effects of antioxidant intervention in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The role of antioxidant intervention in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients has been increasingly investigated in recent years. In order to further clarify whether antioxidant therapy is beneficial for PCOS patients and the emphasis of its effects, this study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining the effect of antioxidant intervention on PCOS. METHODS: Enrolled study designs related to antioxidant interventions and PCOS, published from 1999 to 2020, were searched from EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases to sort out proven studies on antioxidant interventions and PCOS. Data were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference with associated confidence intervals of 95%. The analysis was conducted using Stata version 16.0. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in total. Antioxidant intervention had a positive impact on homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (WMD = –0.37, P = .011) and Triglycerides (WMD = –25.51, P < .001). And antioxidant intervention did not improve testosterone levels significantly (WMD = –0.20, P = .2611). Subgroup analysis showed that except for the D-chiro-inosito subgroup, no difference in body mass index was observed between the intervention group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrates the efficacy of antioxidant intervention in patients with PCOS, demonstrating that antioxidant intervention has a significant effect on insulin resistance and lipid metabolism improvement. However, antioxidant intervention therapy has no discernible impact on testosterone levels or body mass index. Omega-3 may be a more effective antioxidant intervention for PCOS. In addition, this meta-analysis provides important reference opinions and treatment recommendations for PCOS.