Review Article

N-Acetylcysteine for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

Table 2

Characteristics of included studies: baseline characteristics systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials.

Characteristics Among women with PCOSAmong women with clomiphene resistant PCOS
Salehpour et al. 2009 [17]Gayatri et al. 2010 [28]Oner and Muderris 2011 [18]Salehpour et al. 2012 [19]Rizk et al. 2005 [20]Elnashar et al. 2007 [14]Hashim et al. 2010 [21]Nasr 2010 [22]

NAC/placeboNAC/metforminNAC/metforminNAC/placeboNAC/placeboNAC/metforminNAC/metforminNAC/placebo
Total randomized, 461151001801536419260
Randomised, 4656/5950 /5090/90NA32/3295/9730/30
Completed, 3650/5045/3182/8575/7530/3197/9530/30
Total, 36100761671506119260
Attrition rate21.7%13%24%7%2%4.7%0%0%
Baseline Characteristics
Age, years 27.2 (5.4)
27.8 (6.1)
22.6 (3.8);
23.2 (4.1)
23.7 (4.4);
22.6 (4.8)
27.22 (3.32);
27.41 (3.41)
28.9 (4.7);
28.4 (5.7)
27.33 (3.35);
26.73 (5.36)
27.3 (2.6);
26.8 (2.2)
28.4 (4.2);
29.2 (3.7)
Weight, kg 74.1 (11.7)
74.1 (13.2)
70.5 (3.45);
69.8 (8.32)
NANA101.3 (12.4);
99.2 (12.3)
NANANA
BMI, kg/m229.5 (4.1)
29.5 (4.4)
26.54 (2.35);
27.28 (3.25)
23 (4.6);
24.3 (6.2)
26.78 (2.24);
26.67 (2.01)
30.5 (2.6);
30.1 (3.1)
25.8 (0.94);
26.8 (1.52)
26.6 (2.2);
26.3 (2.3)
28.6 (3.7);
29.1 (4.2)
Amenorrhea patients (%)2 (11.1%)
2 (11.1%)
4 (8%);
4 (8%)
NANANANA6 (6.3%);
7 (7.2%)
5 (17%);
6 (20%)
Oligomenorrhea, (%)NA29 (58%);
30 (60%)
NANANA76.7 (23);
77.4 (24)
89 (93.7%);
90 (92.8%)
NA
Hirsutism, (%)11 (61.1%)
10 (55.6%)
2 (4%);
3 (6%)
NANANANANA16 (53%);
18 (60%)
Acne, (%)5 (27.8%)
5 (27.8%)
1 (2); 2 (4)NANANANANANA
Duration of Infertility, mean (SD)4.5 (2.2)
4.2 (3.3)
10 (20);
8 (16)
NA4.39 (1.96);
4.45 (1.94)
5 (2.9);
4.4 (2.6)
NA4.5 (1.2);
4.7 (1.3)
5.3 (1.9);
4.9 (2.1)
Testosterone level, nmol/dL, mean (SD)0.91 (0.48)
1.01 (0.45)
1.55 (0.29);
1.65 (0.24)
80.8 (41.1);
86.1 (48.4)
NANA98.27 (31.5);
106.5 (44.6)
1.06 (0.27);
1.03 (0.31)
NA
FPG, mg/dL, mean (SD)95.6 (10.9)
96.8 (27.7)
88.53 (5.14);
87.65 (4.34)
88.5 (6.8);
88.9 (7.4)
NA81.9 (12.6);
85.9 (14.1)
83.3 (8.8);
85.9 (9.4)
91.3 (1.5);
89.6 (1.4)
NA
HOMA-IR5.22 (5.58);
4.9 (4.2)
5.52 (1.35);
5.42 (1.36)
4.5 (1.2);
4.3 (0.9)
NANANANANA