Abstract

Introduction The present study is an attempt to compare the effects of letrozole therapy plus monitored exercise and letrozole therapy alone on pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Method A total of 120 infertile women aged between 18 and 40 years with PCOS participated in this study. The patients were divided to two groups: treatment with letrozole and exercise workouts (Group 1) and treatment with letrozole only (Group 2). All data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Results The group of women that received exercise had more live births than the group of women that received only letrozole, but this difference was not significant. Biochemical pregnancy rates in Group 1 were significantly lower than Group 2 (p-value < 0.001). The number of follicles and clinical pregnancies was significantly higher in Group 1. Conclusion Despite the well-proven benefits of exercise for the general population and the fact that it is recommended as a basis for PCOS management, few completely controlled studies have evaluated the impact of exercise on PCOS. The present study results revealed that regular exercise combined with letrozole therapy would lead to better pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS compared to letrozole alone.