Research Progress in Clinical Studies of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent reproductive endocrine and metabolic disorder among women of reproductive age. Its pathophysiological mechanisms encompass genetic susceptibility, insulin resistance, low-grade chronic inflammation, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, exhibiting significant clinical heterogeneity. PCOS can lead to reproductive dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and psychological disorders, severely compromising patients’ quality of life. Given the complex pathogenesis and variable clinical manifestations of this disease, single-modality interventions often prove inadequate. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), guided by the holistic concept and centered on syndrome differentiation and treatment, has accumulated substantial evidence-based medical data in regulating HPO axis homeostasis and optimizing the local microenvironment of the ovary. TCM theory generally attributes the pathological essence of PCOS to “deficiency in root and excess in branch, “with kidney deficiency as the root cause, and liver qi stagnation, blood stasis, and phlegm-dampness as the branch manifestations. The therapeutic principles involve tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence, soothing the liver and regulating qi, activating blood circulation and eliminating stasis, drying dampness and resolving phlegm, supplemented by acupuncture and meridian regulation. This article systematically reviews the current research status of TCM(including acupuncture), modern pharmacological, and surgical interventions for PCOS through a comprehensive literature search of recent domestic and international publications, analyzing the therapeutic characteristics, mechanisms of action, and safety profiles of various treatment modalities, with the aim of providing theoretical basis and clinical reference for multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment and individualized therapeutic regimen formulation.