Tier 2 — strong

Randomized controlled trial of letrozole, berberine, or a combination for infertility in the polycystic ovary syndrome

Wu XK, Wang YY, Liu JP, Liang RN, Xue HY, Ma HX, Shao XG, Ng EH, Reproductive and Developmental Network in Chinese Medicine
Fertility and sterility 2016 106(3):757-765.e1

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 27336209
DOI
10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.05.022
Funding
Indexed support: Novo Nordisk Fonden. See the publication for grant details.
Competing interests
A complete competing-interest declaration was not available in the accessible source; no absence of conflicts is inferred.

Study snapshot

DesignMulticenter double-blind randomized fertility trial
ModelHuman participants; see population
Sample644 women across three arms
InterventionBerberine 1.5 g/day, cyclic letrozole, or their combination
DurationUp to 6 months
EndpointsCumulative live birth; Ovulation and pregnancy; Multiple births

What the study showed, in plain terms

Adding berberine did not improve live births over letrozole alone. Berberine alone produced fewer live births than either letrozole-containing regimen.

Key findings

  • Reported live-birth proportions were 36% with letrozole, 34% with the combination and 22% with berberine.

What this study can and cannot tell us

A supervised fertility-treatment population; no basis for using berberine during pregnancy.

Source detail: indexed abstract and bibliographic record; unavailable methods or disclosures are identified rather than assumed.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology