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Antioxidant supplementations ameliorate PCOS complications: a review of RCTs and insights into the underlying mechanisms

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Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most important gynecological disorders of women in the age of reproduction. Different hormonal and inflammatory cross-talks may play in the appearance of its eventual complications as a leading cause of infertility. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species over the power of the antioxidant system as oxidative stress is known to contribute to a variety of diseases like PCOS. Thus, the utilization of antioxidants can be efficient in preventing or assistant in treating these diseases. In this review, we describe the clinical trial studies that have examined the efficiency of antioxidant strategies against PCOS and the possible underlying mechanisms. The investigations presented here lead us to consider that targeting oxidative stress pathways is probably a powerful promising therapeutic approach towards PCOS. There is preparatory evidence of the effectiveness of antioxidant interventions in ameliorating some of the PCOS complications, including metabolic and hormonal disorders. Due to limited data and relatively few clinical trials, many of these interventions need further investigation before they can be considered effective agents for routine clinical use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Roghaye Gharaei, Forough Mahdavinezhad, Zhaleh Ashrafnezhad & Fardin Amidi

  2. Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Esmaeil Samadian & Jahanbakhsh Asadi

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Arash Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ladan Kashani

  4. Department of Infertility, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Fardin Amidi

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  1. Roghaye Gharaei
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Gharaei, R., Mahdavinezhad, F., Samadian, E. et al. Antioxidant supplementations ameliorate PCOS complications: a review of RCTs and insights into the underlying mechanisms. J Assist Reprod Genet 38, 2817–2831 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-021-02342-7

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