Progestins in the symptomatic management of endometriosis: a meta-analysis on their effectiveness and safety
Jon-Benay Mitchell1, Sarentha Chetty2, Fatima Kathrada3
1Division of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Background:
Endometriosis is a complex chronic disease that affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide and commonly presents with pelvic pain and infertility.
Method & Outcome Measures:
A systematic review of the literature was carried out using the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov in women with a confirmed laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis receiving progestins to determine a reduction in pain symptoms and the occurrence of adverse effects.
Results:
Eighteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Progestins improved painful symptoms compared to placebo (SMD = -0.61, 95% CI (-0.77, -0.45), P < 0.00001) with no comparable differences between the type of progestin. After median study durations of 6-12 months, the median discontinuation rate due to adverse effects was 0.3% (range: 0 - 37.1%) with mild adverse effects reported.
Conclusion:
The meta-analysis revealed that pain improvement significantly increased with the use of progestins with low adverse effects.
Systematic Review Registration:
PROSPERO CRD42021285026.
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