Why Metformin Is Only Half the Answer
Metformin does one thing well: it lowers hepatic glucose production and improves insulin sensitivity. For women with PCOS, that matters, because insulin resistance sits at the root of most symptoms, the irregular cycles, the androgen excess, the weight that won't shift. But a 2020 review published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that lifestyle intervention combined with metformin produced significantly greater reductions in testosterone and fasting insulin than metformin alone. The drug is a floor, not a ceiling.
