GLP-1 Evidence

Not medical advice. A record of published research and our assessments of it. The limits

Short-term combined treatment with exenatide and metformin for overweight/obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Design
Randomized trial · Biomarker outcome
Match to healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75
Different population[Auto] Participants had obesity/overweight (age/BMI not reported in abstract).
Could weight loss explain it?
Possibly[Auto] Participants had obesity and/or type 2 diabetes and the abstract does not separate direct drug effects from weight loss or glycaemic improvement.
Study tier
Study tier 3[Auto] Small or short randomized trial (auto-provisional).
Assessment
Version 1 · automatic, not yet reviewed by a person · Sep 13, 2026

Study facts come from the paper. Population match, weight-loss explanation and study tier are our judgments, made against the reference group of healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75.

[Auto, unreviewed; quoted from abstract conclusions] COM therapy was more effective than MET alone in reducing body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and improving insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese women with PCOS, with acceptable short-term side effects.

01Findings

What the study reported

Drugs
Exenatide
Dose
500 mg
Treatment duration
12 weeks
Primary outcome
Not extracted
Effect
Not extracted
95% confidence interval
Not extracted
Follow-up
12 weeks
Adverse events
Not extracted
Limitations
Auto-classified from abstract only; effect estimates, adverse events and limitations not extracted. Requires manual review.

Who was studied

Obesity status
obesity/overweight present (all or most)
Diabetes status
diabetes mentioned

Study quality details

Study design
Randomized controlled trial
Sample size
not extracted
Randomization
yes
Blinding
not stated
Comparator
not stated
Follow up duration
12 weeks
Outcome type
biomarker
Replication
not assessed (auto)
Consistency with other evidence
not assessed (auto)
Population applicability
INDIRECT
Statistical precision
not extracted
Risk of bias
not assessed (auto)
Funding conflicts
unclear
Peer review status
yes
02Funding

Funding and conflicts

Funding
not reported in abstract
Industry funded
Unclear
Manufacturer
None identified
Sponsor role
not reported in abstract
Author conflicts
None.
Independent replication
unknown

Funding is shown on every study and never used to score it.

04Source

The source, as retrieved

Abstract

[BACKGROUND] Obesity and insulin resistance (IR) are common features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin (MET) increases insulin sensitivity, but it is associated with unsatisfactory weight loss. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exenatide has been shown to reduce weight and IR in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of exenatide once-weekly (QW) combined with MET on body weight, as well as metabolic and endocrinological parameters in overweight/obese women with PCOS. [METHODS] Fifty overweight/obese women with PCOS diagnosed via the Rotterdam criteria were randomized to one of two treatment groups: MET (500 mg three times a day [TID]) or combination treatment (COM) (MET 500 mg TID, exenatide 2 mg QW) for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were anthropometric changes associated with obesity, and the secondary outcomes included changes in reproductive hormone levels, glucose and lipid metabolism, and C-reactive protein. [RESULTS] Forty (80%) patients completed the study. COM therapy was superior to MET monotherapy in reducing weight (P = 0.045), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.041), and waist circumference (P = 0.023). Patients in the COM group on an average lost 3.8 ± 2.4 kg compared with 2.1 ± 3.0 kg in the MET group. In the COM group, BMI and waist circumference decreased by 1.4 ± 0.87 kg/m2 and 4.63 ± 4.42 cm compared with 0.77 ± 1.17 kg/m2 and 1.72 ± 3.07 cm in the MET group, respectively. Moreover, levels of fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2-h glucose, and OGTT 2-h insulin were significantly lower with COM therapy than with MET (P < 0.050). Mild and moderate gastrointestinal reactions were the most common adverse events in both groups. [CONCLUSIONS] COM therapy was more effective than MET alone in reducing body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and improving insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese women with PCOS, with acceptable short-term side effects. [TRIAL REGISTRATION] ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04029272. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04029272.

Where this record came from

SourceRetrievedIdentifier
pubmedSep 13, 202634732660
first ingestion