Methods | Randomised, controlled, double‐blind trial | |
Participants | Women with PCOS attending IVF clinic (n = 46); Mean age Treatment group: 27; Control group 28 Exclusion criteria: infertility factors apart from anovulation, other pathologies, hormone consumption for less than 2 months before enrolment. |
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Interventions | 1. NAC 200 mg: 1 tablet 3 times a day (n = 23) 2. Placebo (n = 23) 7 women lost to follow‐up. Reasons described were intolerance to the smell of medications and blood samples inappropriate for the study Treatment 6 weeks' duration Follow‐up 6 weeks |
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Outcomes | Ovulation Weight Endocrine Metabolic and hormonal factors |
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Notes | Trial carried out in Teheran, Iran, from February 2007 and February 2008 Informed consent. Power calculation. Ethics approved. Funding source stated, "research is supported by Shahid Beheshti Medical University" |
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Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | "In order to minimise the effects of confounding factors through a randomised method". Method not stated |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not stated |
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | "Medication was provided to patients by a midwife. Both patient and physician were blinded to the type of treatment regimen". |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | 14 dropouts; 7 from each arm, reasons generally described but not for each woman |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | All outcomes described in the text were reported |
Other bias | Low risk | No other bias found |