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Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Anthropometric Measurements, Metabolic Profile, and Hormones in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder characterized by excess body weight, hyperandrogenism, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance often resulting in hirsutism and infertility. Dietary strategies have been shown to ameliorate metabolic disturbances, hormonal imbalances, and inflammation associated with PCOS. Recent evidence indicates that intermittent fasting (IF) could effectively enhance health outcomes and regulate circadian rhythm; however, its impact on PCOS remain unclear. Objective: Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to examine the effect of IF on women diagnosed with PCOS. Methods: Comprehensive research was conducted across three major databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science without date restrictions. Meta-analysis was performed using Cochrane Review Manager Version 5.4 software. Results: Five studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. IF significantly reduced body weight (MD = −4.25 kg, 95% CI: −7.71, −0.79; p = 0.02), BMI (MD = −2.05 kg/m2, 95% CI: −3.26, −0.85; p = 0.0008), fasting blood glucose (FBG; MD = −2.86 mg/dL, 95% CI: −4.83, −0.89; p = 0.004), fasting blood insulin (FBI; MD = −3.17 μU/mL, 95% CI: −5.18, −1.16; p = 0.002), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; MD = −0.94, 95% CI: −1.39, −0.50; p < 0.0001), triglycerides (TG; MD = −40.71 mg/dL, 95% CI: −61.53, −19.90; p = 0.0001), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S; MD = −33.21 μg/dL, 95% CI: −57.29, −9.13; p = 0.007), free androgen index (FAI; MD = −1.61%, 95% CI: −2.76, −0.45; p = 0.006), and C-reactive protein (CRP; MD = −2.00 mg/L, 95% CI: −3.15, −0.85; p = 0.006), while increasing sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG; SMD = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.77; p = 0.004). No significant changes were observed in waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), total cholesterol (TC), LDL, HDL, total testosterone (TT), or anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). Conclusions: IF represents a promising strategy for improving weight and metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory profiles in women with PCOS. However, the existing evidence remains preliminary, necessitating further robust studies to substantiate these findings.
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“Another systematic review and meta-analysis by Ranneh et al. synthesized evidence on IF effects on anthropometric, metabolic, and hormonal parameters in PCOS, generally supporting beneficial effects on androgen profiles and insulin sensitivity [27].”
In the citing paper
“Evidence quality assessment (Section 3.2.3—PCOS): MODERATE—supported by one RCT (Güven [8]) and two systematic reviews/meta-analyses (Velissariou et al. [26]; Ranneh et al. [27]), with additional evidence from a comprehensive systematic review (Waly et al. [28]).”
In the citing paper
“Multiple studies demonstrate that IF improves menstrual regularity and markers of ovulatory function in PCOS [8,26,27,28].”
In the citing paper
“PCOS patients: IF shows the strongest evidence for reproductive benefits, improving hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and menstrual regularity [8,26,27].”
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Cited by
La Vignera, S., & Condorelli, R. A. (2026) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu18111817 · Cited by 3
Metadata
- Authors
- Ranneh, Y., Hamsho, M., Shkorfu, W., Terzi, M., & Fadel, A.
- Venue
- Nutrients
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-07-25
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 2436
- ISSN
- 2072-6643
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 11
- Language
- en
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