Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system effects on metabolic variables in PCOS

We aimed to determine and compare the reproductive hormone level and metabolic of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) when treated with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS).

Sixty-four women with PCOS (Group A) and sixty-six healthy women inserted with a LNG-IUS for conception (Group B) were recruited from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Jinhua Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

We compared the general characteristics of the cases between the two groups, including age, body mass index (BMI), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), abdominal circumference (AC) and waist circumference (WC). Each patient was evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) to determine the number of oocytes and ovarian volume, and the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was measured on an ECG image from the left common carotid artery before and six months, 12 months and 24 months after patients were inserted with the LNG-IUS. Hormone levels (follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, serum estradiol and total testosterone), serum insulin, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglyceride (TG), were evaluated before and six months, 12 months and 24 months after patients were inserted with an LNG-IUS. The levels of testosterone (T) in the non-HA (hyperandrogenemia) group and HA group in PCOS group were compared with the baseline. We also compared cases without insulin resistance in the PCOS group with their baseline.

Prior to LNG-IUS insertion, the PCOS group had significantly higher total testosterone levels (p < 0.05), lower HDL levels (p < 0.05), and a greater ovarian volume (p < 0.05) than the control group. Compared to baseline values, there was a significant increase in fasting glycemia at six months after LNG-IUS insertion (p < 0.05). Mean ovarian volume was significantly smaller than the volume prior to LNG-IUS insertion (p < 0.05); LDL and TC were significantly reduced when compared to baseline evaluation in the PCOS group. The remaining variables did not differ significantly during the 24 months follow-up period. The control group did not show any significant changes when compared to the period before LNG-IUS insertion. When the groups were compared after the 24-month follow-up, WC, AC, FSH, LH, T, SHBG, HDL, FINs, FAI and ovarian volume were significantly different when compared between the two groups (p < 0.05) .

The LNG-IUS is an effective and safe non-surgical device and the use of this system for 24 months did not result in significant changes in the clinical and metabolic variables in women with PCOS and healthy control females.