Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) improve reproductive outcomes in obese women with PCOS or unexplained infertility by reducing body weight, improving insulin sensitivity, and modulating endometrial immune balance (increasing Treg cells, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and restoring Th17/Treg balance).
For women with obesity and fertility issues (like PCOS), GLP-1 medications can help restore ovulation and improve the uterine environment by lowering inflammation. However, these drugs must be stopped before you conceive because they can harm the developing embryo. The goal is to use them during the preconception phase to fix metabolic and immune imbalances, then switch to pregnancy-safe management once pregnant.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) exert prominent metabolic and immunomodulatory properties that make them promising agents for the correction of reproductive disorders in obese women. Weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, normalization of androgen profiles, and restoration of ovulatory function are primarily relevant in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and unexplained infertility. At the level of immune regulation, GLP-1RAs contribute to downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, increased percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg), and recovered Th17 (T helper 17 cells)/Treg balance, thereby improving endometrial receptivity and conditions for successful implantation.
Why this rating
The paper is a review article citing observational data and animal models; it explicitly notes the 'lack of large-scale randomized clinical trials in reproductive cohorts'.
Source
The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the correction of immune and metabolic disorders in women with reproductive dysfunction
N. D. Kozhukhov et al. · Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproduction · 2025
DOI 10.17749/2313-7347/ob.gyn.rep.2025.657
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