Polish cohort shows how widely incretin drugs are already prescribed in PCOS

A large real-world study from Poland shows how common GLP-1 receptor agonists and tirzepatide have become in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), even though these drugs are not officially approved for that condition. Researchers looked at electronic health records for 38,263 women with a coded PCOS diagnosis in the LUX MED private healthcare network, covering data from July 2006 to April 2026 ^[1].

Among women diagnosed with PCOS between 2018 and 2024, 4,557 (11.9%) had a prescription for a GLP-1 receptor agonist or a GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist like tirzepatide, and 16,381 (42.8%) received metformin, a longtime PCOS treatment ^[1]. Most incretin users were not being treated for diabetes: only 11.5% had a coded type 2 diabetes diagnosis, while 75.5% were also taking metformin at the same time ^[1].

BMI data point to weight management as the likely driver. Women prescribed a GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 drug had a median BMI of 31.2, compared with 26.3 for women on metformin alone and 22.1 for women receiving neither treatment (p<0.001 for all comparisons) ^[1]. The incretin group also carried a heavier overall burden of other health conditions ^[1].

Use of these drugs in PCOS rose sharply and quickly. The share of newly diagnosed women starting a GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 drug within one year of diagnosis climbed from 0.14% in 2018 to 5.97% in 2024 ^[1]. Each additional calendar year was strongly linked to a higher chance of starting one of these drugs, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.64 (95% CI, 1.56–1.73, p<0.001), and the trend held even after the researchers excluded women who had diabetes ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

This study offers a window into how doctors are actually prescribing incretin-based drugs for PCOS in practice, separate from what clinical trials have proven. PCOS affects fertility, metabolism, and long-term cardiovascular risk, and many women with the condition struggle with weight, which is tied to insulin resistance. The fact that most incretin users in this study did not have diabetes, and had notably higher BMI than other PCOS patients, suggests these drugs are being used largely for weight-related reasons rather than blood sugar control ^[1].

For patients in the US who have PCOS and are curious about or already using semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), this data shows they are not alone in seeking these treatments outside a formal diabetes diagnosis. But the study is observational: it counted prescriptions, not whether patients actually took the medication, how long they stayed on it, or what health outcomes followed ^[1]. It also comes from a private healthcare network in Poland, which may not reflect prescribing patterns, insurance coverage, or patient populations in the United States.

Importantly, the authors did not measure safety or effectiveness for PCOS symptoms in this analysis. They only tracked how often prescriptions were written and for whom ^[1].

What happens next

The study's authors say more research is needed that tracks whether patients actually fill and continue their prescriptions, along with safety data and outcomes specific to PCOS, rather than just prescribing trends ^[1]. No timeline for such follow-up studies is given in the published paper. The paper appeared in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism on June 15, 2026, with a correction to author affiliations added July 9, 2026 ^[1].