Integrative Approaches to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): A Comparative Review of Ayurvedic and Allopathic Management Strategies in Reproductive Health

Abstract
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a complicated endocrine disease that occurs in up
to 20% of all women of childbearing age in India. Although there are traditional
pharmacological options, it is still difficult to control metabolic and reproductive
manifestations in the long term. Ayurveda provides alternative and complementary systems
which focus on systemic balancing and individual therapy. The review is a comparison of
both Ayurvedic and Allopathic treatment modalities of PCOS, which synthesises evidence of
randomised clinical trial, observational, and integration-based studies published in 2010
2025. The studies show that Ayurvedic preparations like Ashokarishtam, Phalasarpis, and
Shatavari are beneficial to increase menstrual cycle, ovulation, and hormone levels with fewer
adverse effects, but Allopathic medications like metformin and clomiphene citrate produce
a quicker ovulation but increased gastrointestinal intolerance. Integrative approaches are
shown to be better with regard to patient adherence and glycemic regulation. Medical
laboratory perspective, biochemical indicators like fasting insulin, LH/FSH ratio, and serum
testosterone are very important in measuring treatment effectiveness and progression of the
disease. Ayurveda is therefore presented as a sustainable complement to traditional
management, which should be further investigated in large scale and with evidence basis.
The paper highlights the critical role of medical laboratory technologists in the process of
applying and authenticating such diagnostic parameters.