Integrative Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 6-13% of European women of reproductive age and is the most common endocrine disorder in this population. The clinical picture spans menstrual irregularity, hyperandrogenism (clinical or biochemical), polycystic ovarian morphology, metabolic dysregulation (insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, increased type 2 diabetes risk), and psychological sequelae including anxiety and depression. Conventional management is multidisciplinary and typically includes lifestyle intervention, metformin for metabolic features, hormonal contraceptives for menstrual regulation, anti-androgens for hirsutism, and fertility-focused interventions when conception is desired. Ayurvedic medicine has a substantial clinical framework for what modern practice recognises as PCOS under the broader classical categories of Artava dushti (menstrual disorders) and related reproductive-endocrine presentations. Integrated Ayurvedic plus conventional management has accumulated substantial clinical evidence over the past decade. This study reviews 52 primary clinical studies published between 2012 and 2022 evaluating integrative PCOS management, grouped under five frames: PC1 (specific herbal interventions for PCOS features), PC2 (integrated Ayurvedic polyherbal protocols), PC3 (lifestyle and dietary intervention Ayurvedic frameworks), PC4 (integrated Ayurvedic plus conventional PCOS management), and PC5 (fertility-focused integrative protocols). Each frame was scored with the Integrative PCOS Management Index (IPMI). Integrated Ayurvedic plus conventional management (PC4) scored highest at IPMI 0.824, with integrated polyherbal protocols (PC2) at 0.802 and lifestyle intervention (PC3) at 0.780