Preconception Weight Loss Improves Pregnancy Success Rates in Women With PCOS

New study finds that preconception weight loss improves pregnancy success rates in women with PCOS. A randomized controlled trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metababolism 2015:100:4048-58, found that delaying ovulation induction in women with PCOS until weight loss could be achieved significantly improved both ovulation and live birth rates in obese women with PCOS desiring pregnancy.

The efficacy of three preconception interventions over four months were determined in 216 overweight-obese infertile women with PCOS: 1) Low dose oral contraceptive pills; 2) live style modification including weight loss and increased exercise; and 3) combined birth control pills and lifestyle modification. They found that after four cycles of immediate ovulation induction with clomiphene, the cumulative per-cycle ovulation rate and cumulative live birth rate were the same as in the preconception birth control group.

However, they found a significantly higher cumulative ovulation rate and live birth rate in the preconception lifestyle modification group and in the preconception combination birth control pill and lifestyle modification group when ovulation induction was delayed.

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