Effectiveness of Cinnamomum Verum Extract and Metformin on Menstrual Cycle Regularity and Adverse Event Profile in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i6.2746Keywords:
adverse events, cinnamomum verum, menstrual cycle, metformin, polycystic ovary syndromeAbstract
A Quasi-Experimental Pretest-Posttest Control Group Clinical Trial. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine-metabolic disorder among reproductive-age women, with menstrual cycle disturbance as one of its principal clinical manifestations. Metformin is the standard therapy but is often limited by gastrointestinal adverse effects that reduce adherence, prompting interest in herbal alternatives such as Cinnamomum verum. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of C. verum extract with metformin on the restoration of menstrual cycle regularity, and to compare the incidence and severity of adverse events in women with PCOS. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design involved aged 18-40 years with PCOS, allocated into two parallel groups (n=40): C. verum 1,500 mg/day and metformin 1,500 mg/day for 12 weeks. Menstrual regularity was assessed with a structured questionnaire (amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, hypomenorrhea, eumenorrhea). Categorical data were analyzed with chi-square/Fisher's exact tests and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI). Baseline characteristics and initial menstrual disturbance patterns were comparable between groups. After 12 weeks, all subjects in both groups (100%) achieved eumenorrhea. Adverse events were markedly less frequent in the C. verum group (12.5%; predominantly grade 1) than in the metformin group (95.0%; predominantly grade 2 gastrointestinal complaints), p<0.001. Twelve-week supplementation with C. verum 1,500 mg/day is comparable to metformin in restoring menstrual cycle regularity in women with PCOS, but with a markedly lower incidence and severity of adverse events, supporting its potential as a better-tolerated therapeutic alternative.
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