Impact of metformin therapy on serum visfatin levels in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and randomized permuted meta-analysis.

Abstract

Visfatin, an, is associated with reproductive and metabolic disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Although visfatin levels are known to be elevated in PCOS, the effect of metformin treatment on these levels remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to assess changes in circulating visfatin levels before and after metformin intervention in PCOS patients. Relevant studies were identified through comprehensive searches, and a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sensitivity analysis and randomized permuted meta-analyses (with 1,000, 10,000, and 100,000 iterations) were performed to validate the findings. The analysis included four studies and showed a significant reduction in visfatin levels following metformin treatment (SMD: -0.45, 95% CI: -0.76 to -0.14, p = 0.0043). These results highlight metformin's impact on visfatin levels in PCOS, though larger trials are needed to further explore visfatin's role as a therapeutic target in PCOS.