Minimal response of circulating lipids in women with polycystic ovary syndrome to improvement in insulin sensitivity with troglitazone.

We hypothesized that the administration of troglitazone (TGZ), an insulin-sensitizing agent of the thiazolidinedione class, would improve dyslipidemia associated with insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Three hundred and ninety-eight women with PCOS in a multicenter, double-blind trial were randomly assigned to 44 wk of treatment with: placebo or troglitazone (150, 300, or 600 mg/d). We examined the responses of circulating lipid and lipoproteins [total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TTG)] by treatment arm, and the influence of glycemic parameters on baseline levels and response to treatment.