Effect of Interventions Based on Lifestyle Modification on Clinical, Hormonal and Metabolic Findings in the Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is often associated with clinical, metabolic and hormonal disorders. There are strong correlations between obesity, hyperandrogenism, impaired glucose tolerance and reproductive disorders emphasising the importance of lifestyle in patients with this syndrome.
PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane and SID databases (2003–2014) were searched to identify publications on the effect of interventions based on Lifestyle modification on clinical, hormonal and metabolic findings in the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Suitable nutrition and weight reduction can improve the results of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Data on enhanced benicial composition of diets in these patients is not available and studies have focused mainly on the restriction of energy instead of diet composition. Some researchers believe that a low glycemic load diet is effective on insulin resistance and other symptoms of disease but there is in sufficient evidence on the effectiveness of diets with high protein content. Regular physical activity also improves insulin resistance in patients with the PCOS.
Lifestyle modification as the first-line treatment in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome can improve the clinical, hormonal and metabolic findings of patients. Although calorie restriction and weight loss can directly improve disease outcomes in these patients, yet the effect of diet composition is not well elucidated.