Comparing diets to lower blood sugar in polycystic ovary syndrome
Official title: Glycemic reduction approaches in polycystic ovary syndrome: a comparative effectiveness study
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11238894 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares different diet plans to help women with PCOS lower blood sugar, lose weight, and improve insulin-related hormone levels.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $562,477 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK128205-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238894 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women aged 21 or older with a diagnosis of PCOS, especially those who are overweight or obese and concerned about blood sugar or insulin resistance, are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without PCOS, men, pregnant women, or anyone unable to follow dietary changes are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
You would be invited to follow one of several nutrition plans—such as a standard diet, a DASH-style plan, or a very low-carbohydrate plan—for a set period while researchers track your health. The team will collect blood tests, body weight and BMI measures, and hormone or insulin-related markers, and ask about diet adherence and symptoms like acne. Visits will include counseling and follow-up to support the assigned eating plan and monitor changes. The researchers will compare how each approach affects glucose control, weight, and PCOS-related hormonal measures over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify which diet best reduces diabetes risk and improves weight and hormonal symptoms for women with PCOS.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials show modest metabolic benefits from lower-carbohydrate diets in PCOS and stronger effects of very low-carb diets in type 2 diabetes, but very low-carb approaches have not been well tested specifically in PCOS.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saslow, Laura — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Saslow, Laura
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
SMAD5 and PCOS/PMOS: a new genetic clue to infertility
A research project at Baylor College of Medicine is studying a genetic variant in SMAD5 that may cause a form of PCOS/PMOS and could lead to new ways to diagnose or treat infertility.
-
TLR4 blocker for improving fertility in PCOS
A promising, already-approved drug (disulfiram) will be tested to see if it can reduce inflammation and improve ovulation in women with PCOS.
-
Genetic clues to PCOS: how genes shape a common women's health condition
A doctor-scientist team at Boston Children’s Hospital is studying how genetic factors contribute to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) across women, men, and children to understand the root causes.
-
Semaglutide to help restore ovulation in youth and adults with PCOS
A study tests an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist (semaglutide) to improve ovulation and hormonal balance in people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
-
Understanding how PCOS develops during adolescence
This grant looks at how polycystic ovary syndrome begins in teenagers and what early signs help doctors diagnose it accurately.
-
AI-powered ultrasound tool to help diagnose PCOS
A new AI-based tool uses ultrasound images to help doctors reliably identify polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in reproductive-age women.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.