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Objective: To compare the effects of metformin, rosiglitazone, and their combination in obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with insulin resistance. Design: Prospective randomized controlled trail. Setting: Tertiary teaching hospital. Patient(s): Obese Chinese women (body mass index [BMI] R25 kg/m 2 ) with insulin resistance who fulfilled the Rotterdam criteria of PCOS. Intervention(s): In group 1, 68 patients administered metformin (1,500 mg/day); in group 2, 67 patients administered rosiglitazone (4 mg/day); in group 3, 69 patients administered metformin (1,000 mg/day) and rosiglitazone (4 mg/day) for 6 months, all with the same diet and regular exercise lifestyle recommendation. Main Outcome Measure(s): Average menstrual interval, anthropometric measurements, androgen-related parameters, and metabolic features of insulin, carbohydrates, and lipids, with intention-to-treat analysis. Result(s): The baseline parameters showed no statistically significant differences. After the 6-month treatment, most participants showed an improved menstrual pattern. There were statistically significant decreases in acne scores, weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and serum testosterone. The metabolic indexes of insulin, carbohydrates, and lipids were improved obviously compared with the baseline in each group. Among the three groups, the patients administered 1,500 mg/day metformin experienced greater reductions in weight. However, the rosiglitazone users (alone or combined with metformin) showed a more notable decline in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Conclusion(s):Considering the benefits of metformin on weight loss, high-dose metformin (1,500 mg/day) along with lifestyle modification should be recommended for obese, insulin-resistant women with PCOS. Rosiglitazone alone or combined with lowdosage metformin plus lifestyle modification should be considered for the women with abnormal lipid profiles.

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81370693). The authors have no conflicts of interest.

BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent cause of anovulatory infertility. In women with PCOS, effective ovulation induction serves as an important first-line treatment for anovulatory infertility. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis is considered as the gold standard for evidence synthesis which provides accurate assessments of outcomes from primary randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and allows additional analyses for time-to-event outcomes. It also facilitates treatment–covariate interaction analyses and therefore offers an opportunity for personalised medicine. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different ovulation induction agents, in particular letrozole alone and clomiphene citrate (CC) plus metformin, as compared to CC alone, as the first-line choice for ovulation induction in women with PCOS and infertility, and to explore interactions between treatment and participant-level baseline characteristics. SEARCH METHODS We searched electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to 20 December 2018. We included RCTs comparing the following interventions with each other or placebo/no treatment in women with PCOS and infertility: CC, metformin, CC plus metformin, letrozole, gonadotrophin and tamoxifen. We excluded studies on treatment-resistant women. The primary outcome was live birth. We contacted the investigators of eligible RCTs to share the IPD and performed IPD meta-analyses. We assessed the risk of bias by using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs. OUTCOMES IPD of 20 RCTs including 3962 women with PCOS were obtained. Six RCTs compared letrozole and CC in 1284 women. Compared with CC, letrozole improved live birth rates (3 RCTs, 1043 women, risk ratio [RR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–1.75, moderate-certainty evidence) and clinical pregnancy rates (6 RCTs, 1284 women, RR 1.45, 95% CI 1.23–1.70, moderate-certainty evidence) and reduced time-to-pregnancy (6 RCTs, 1235 women, hazard ratio [HR] 1.72, 95% CI 1.38–2.15, moderate-certainty evidence). Meta-analyses of effect modifications showed a positive interaction between baseline serum total testosterone levels and treatment effects on live birth (interaction RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01–1.65). Eight RCTs compared CC plus metformin to CC alone in 1039 women. Compared with CC alone, CC plus metformin might improve clinical pregnancy rates (8 RCTs, 1039 women, RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00–1.39, low-certainty evidence) and might reduce time-to-pregnancy (7 RCTs, 898 women, HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.00–1.57, low-certainty evidence), but there was insufficient evidence of a difference on live birth rates (5 RCTs, 907 women, RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.87–1.35, low-certainty evidence). Meta-analyses of effect modifications showed a positive interaction between baseline insulin levels and treatment effects on live birth in the comparison between CC plus metformin and CC (interaction RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06). WIDER IMPLICATIONS In women with PCOS, letrozole improves live birth and clinical pregnancy rates and reduces time-to-pregnancy compared to CC and therefore can be recommended as the preferred first-line treatment for women with PCOS and infertility. CC plus metformin may increase clinical pregnancy and may reduce time-to-pregnancy compared to CC alone, while there is insufficient evidence of a difference on live birth. Treatment effects of letrozole are influenced by baseline serum levels of total testosterone, while those of CC plus metformin are affected by baseline serum levels of insulin. These interactions between treatments and biomarkers on hyperandrogenaemia and insulin resistance provide further insights into a personalised approach for the management of anovulatory infertility related to PCOS.