UT Health Science Center conducts fertility study for women with ovary syndrome

SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 4, 2009) — Researchers at The University of Texas Health  Science Center at San Antonio are conducting a clinical research study to  determine which medication will most likely result in pregnancy for women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

PCOS is the most common hormone disorder in women and one of the leading causes of infertility. PCOS is characterized by infrequent ovulation and a hormonal
imbalance leading to acne and growth of extra facial and body hair (known as hirsutism). Multiple cysts on the ovaries also may occur. The condition can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

The study in the School of Medicine will determine which of two medications, Clomiphene Citrate or Letrozole, will most likely result in pregnancy in women
with PCOS. Both of these drugs affect estrogen metabolism, but they act through different mechanisms. Women between the ages of 18 and 40 who want to become pregnant and who have eight or fewer periods per year are eligible for screening to look for evidence of a hormonal imbalance or polycystic ovaries on ultrasound.

Participants will have regular visits during treatment. There is no cost for participating, and medication and infertility treatment are covered by the study. The researchers seek 150 women in San Antonio and surrounding counties for the study.

The study is sponsored by the Reproductive Medicine Network and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and is under the direction of Robert G. Brzyski, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology.

The Reproductive Medicine Network has conducted other research on PCOS, including a comprehensive effort to compare two drugs in helping women with PCOS achieve successful pregnancy. The main finding of that study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, and the drug with the best success rate will be used in this study. The investigators are building on the results of that study to discover better infertility treatments for women with PCOS.

Patients who desire more information on this PCOS study are asked to contact study coordinator Carann Easton, R.N., at (210) 567-6245 or eastonc@uthscsa.edu.


The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences  universities in the world. With an operating budget of $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $36 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 26,400 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing,
dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu .



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