Acupuncture outperforms drug therapy for the treatment of insulin resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Shanghai Tianshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers compared the efficaciousness of acupuncture with metformin hydrochloride drug therapy for the treatment of insulin resistant PCOS. Metformin hydrochloride achieved a 60.0% total effective rate and acupuncture achieved a 67.7% total effective rate. Acupuncture outperformed drug therapy for the improvement of lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and regulation of testosterone levels. In addition, the adverse effect rate was significantly lower in the acupuncture group.
