Combined GLP-1 and SGLT2 Therapy Restores Fertility in Obese Women with PCOS and Diabetes | Research

The takeaway

Two obese women with PCOS and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes achieved spontaneous pregnancy within 7 months after starting combined GLP-1 RA and SGLT2 inhibitor therapy.

Spontaneous pregnancy within 7 months
After combined GLP-1 RA/SGLT2i therapy with 10-23% weight loss in PCOS/T2D patients

What the researchers found

Combined GLP-1 RA/SGLT2i therapy produced rapid weight loss, menstrual normalization, and spontaneous conception within 7 months in two obese women with PCOS and T2D.

Why it matters

PCOS-related subfertility with obesity and diabetes is common. If metabolic optimization with readily available drugs can restore fertility, it could reduce the need for expensive fertility treatments.

How the study worked

Case report of two patients treated with combined GLP-1 RA and SGLT2i for PCOS with obesity and new-onset T2D.

What this study cannot tell us

Two case reports — cannot establish treatment protocol; spontaneous pregnancy could be coincidental; GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2i are not approved for use during pregnancy.

How to read the evidence

Case report (2 patients) — compelling narrative but cannot establish a treatment protocol or determine frequency of this outcome.

When this study was published

Published 2026 in Cureus.

The bigger picture

These cases illustrate how treating the metabolic root causes of PCOS (obesity, insulin resistance) can restore reproductive function, potentially changing the approach to PCOS-related infertility.

Questions still open

Should metabolic optimization be tried before fertility treatments in obese PCOS patients?
What is the optimal timing for medication discontinuation before conception?

Common questions

Can weight loss drugs help with fertility?

These two cases show that GLP-1 and SGLT2 drugs, by causing significant weight loss and improving metabolism, normalized menstrual cycles and led to spontaneous pregnancy in women with PCOS. However, these drugs must be stopped before or at conception.

Is it safe to get pregnant while on GLP-1 drugs?

No — GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors should be discontinued before or immediately upon pregnancy confirmation. These cases highlight the importance of contraception planning when starting these medications in women of childbearing age.

Read the original research

Combined Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1RA) and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor (SGLT2i) Therapy to Restore Fertility in Patients With Obesity, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Incident Type 2 Diabetes.

Cureus, 18(1), e102358

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Banerjee, Mainak; Dasgupta, Sujoy. (2026). Combined Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1RA) and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor (SGLT2i) Therapy to Restore Fertility in Patients With Obesity, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Incident Type 2 Diabetes.. Cureus, 18(1), e102358. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.102358