We searched electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science via specific strategies using the keywords “treatment”, “therapy”, “intervention”, “polycystic ovary syndrome” and “randomized controlled trial” to Nov 2021. The detailed search strategy have been listed in Supplementary Table 1 .
The included articles met the following criteria: 1) The studies were placebo-controlled or head-to-head RCTs enrolling women who were infertile due to PCOS and did not have diabetes, hyperprolactinemia, thyroid disorders, late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or Cushing’s syndrome. 2) The studies included at least one of the following interventions: CC, LZ, MET, TZDs (pioglitazone (PIO) or rosiglitazone (ROS)), GLP1-RA. 3) The studies must report the clinical pregnancy number in each group, but not the pregnancy rate per cycle. Clinical pregnancy must have been identified with ultrasound detection of fetal heartbeats.
Studies with the following conditions were excluded: 1) trials that used human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or other gonadotropins since they are not first-line treatments. 2) Studies that conducted surgical treatments. 3) Studies in which different medicines were given consecutively according to the individual’s response to the drugs, resulting in different treatments among the study groups. 4) Non-English articles or those without the full text available were not included.
Two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts and full texts. Disagreements were resolved by consultation with a third reviewer.
The included articles met the following criteria: 1) The studies were placebo-controlled or head-to-head RCTs enrolling women who were infertile due to PCOS and did not have diabetes, hyperprolactinemia, thyroid disorders, late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or Cushing’s syndrome. 2) The studies included at least one of the following interventions: CC, LZ, MET, TZDs (pioglitazone (PIO) or rosiglitazone (ROS)), GLP1-RA. 3) The studies must report the clinical pregnancy number in each group, but not the pregnancy rate per cycle. Clinical pregnancy must have been identified with ultrasound detection of fetal heartbeats.
Studies with the following conditions were excluded: 1) trials that used human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or other gonadotropins since they are not first-line treatments. 2) Studies that conducted surgical treatments. 3) Studies in which different medicines were given consecutively according to the individual’s response to the drugs, resulting in different treatments among the study groups. 4) Non-English articles or those without the full text available were not included.
Two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts and full texts. Disagreements were resolved by consultation with a third reviewer.
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