Integrative Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A nationwide matched cohort study

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects 5%–10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. Patients with PCOS have a high degree of insulin resistance and are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The currently available therapeutic approaches for PCOS mainly focus on symptomatic treatment. Aim of the study: This study aimed to determine whether Chinese herbal medicine (CMH)-based interventions could reduce the risk of T2DM in PCOS patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective study randomly selected 1 million enrollees from the National Health Insurance Database and identified 3797 patients who were newly diagnosed with PCOS in 1997–2010. After 1:1 frequency-matched by age, diagnosis of PCOS year and index days, we selected 342 eligible patients in each group. Results: The incidence of T2DM in the CHM group was significantly lower than that in the non-CHM group (hazard ratio = 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.64; p = 0.0014) after a mean follow-up period of 5.2 years (4.20 years for the comparison cohort). Five herbal formulas and two single herbs showed protective effects, and Paeonia lactiflora was a common ingredient in the five formulas. Conclusions: Thus, CHM may help prevent T2DM-related complications in patients with PCOS. Further clinical and pharmacological analysis based on these findings is expected in the future.