ReviewCureus2026
Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists vs Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with significant metabolic and reproductive dysfunction. Although metformin has long been a cornerstone of PCOS management, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) have emerged as promising alternatives, particularly for improving metabolic outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of GLP-1 RAs compared with metformin on metabolic, hormonal, and reproductive parameters in women with PCOS. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing GLP-1 RAs with metformin in women diagnosed with PCOS were systematically identified and analyzed. Four eligible RCTs comprising a total of 218 participants were included. Statistical analyses were conducted using a fixed-effects model. Compared with metformin, GLP-1 RAs were associated with significant reductions in serum testosterone (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.327, p = 0.036), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (SMD = -0.528, p = 0.048), androstenedione (SMD = -0.523, p = 0.002), and insulin resistance as assessed by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SMD = 1.217, p < 0.001). However, substantial heterogeneity across studies and potential publication bias were observed. Overall, GLP-1 RAs were associated with favorable improvements in key hormonal and metabolic markers compared with metformin in women with PCOS, including reductions in androgen levels and improvements in insulin resistance. Although the available evidence is limited by a small number of short-term trials, the findings are encouraging. Larger, well-designed randomized controlled studies with longer follow-up durations are needed to confirm the sustainability of these effects and to support their translation into routine clinical practice, with standardized reporting of adverse events and treatment discontinuation to better characterize safety and tolerability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.