Tier 4 — mechanistic

Adjunctive berberine improves hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory profiles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a retrospective case-control study

Gao L, Ju Y, Zhu Y, Xu J, Lu D
Frontiers in endocrinology 2026 17:1700331

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42255444
PubMed Central
PMC13236609
DOI
10.3389/fendo.2026.1700331
Funding
The authors reported no financial support for the work or publication.
Competing interests
The authors declared no competing interests in the publication.

Study snapshot

DesignRetrospective case-control analysis
ModelHuman participants; see population
Sample60 women; 30 per group
InterventionBerberine plus luteal progesterone versus progesterone alone
Duration3 months in retrospective records
EndpointsMetabolic and hormonal measures; Menstrual or fertility outcomes; Tolerability

What the study showed, in plain terms

Retrospective records suggested metabolic and inflammatory improvements with adjunctive berberine. Several anthropometric differences appeared only after statistical adjustment.

Key findings

  • Retrospective records suggested metabolic and inflammatory improvements with adjunctive berberine. Several anthropometric differences appeared only after statistical adjustment.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Treatment was not randomized; residual confounding and selection can explain associations. No reliable fertility or pregnancy-safety conclusion follows.

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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