A major change in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was initiated by the understanding that many women with this disorder compensate insulin resistance with a period of hypersecretion of insulin by the pancreatic ß-cell. In addition, women with PCOS have significantly higher basal insulin secretory rates, reduced insulin clearance rates, and attenuated secretory responses to meals. The decreased postprandial response in these patients resembles the ß-cell dysfunction of type 2 diabetes (DM2) and may account for the increased incidence of impaired glucose tolerance in this population. Current research has shown that the use of diabetes management practices aimed at reducing insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia (such as weight reduction and the administration of oral antidiabetic drugs) in women with PCOS can not only improve glucose and lipid metabolism but can also reverse testosterone abnormalities and restore menstrual cycles.