GLP-1 & PCOS Breakthroughs: How Ozempic is Changing Women’s Health | Dr. Melanie Cree

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Medicine, Science, Health & Fitness, Life Sciences

4.6 • 911 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2025

⏱️ 105 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Melanie Cree—physician-scientist, pediatric endocrinologist, and one of the leading researchers redefining how we understand and treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects millions of women, yet it's still underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and often mistreated. Dr. Cree cuts through the confusion, offering a deeply scientific yet compassionate look at what’s really driving this complex condition—from insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction to skeletal muscle quality and fertility trajectories across a woman’s lifespan.

We cover:

Why PCOS isn’t a single disease—and what two phenotypes may explain the full picture
How muscle, liver, and fat interact in PCOS
The misunderstood role of testosterone, insulin, and SHBG in diagnosis
What muscle biopsies reveal about teenage girls with PCOS
Intramuscular fat, mitochondrial impairment, and the true cost of sedentary muscle
How early lifestyle and exercise interventions could change the future of PCOS care
What GLP-1 agonists and amino acid supplements might offer for treatment

Whether you’re a clinician, patient, or advocate for women’s health, this episode will give you a whole new lens on PCOS—and why skeletal muscle may be the most overlooked (and powerful) organ in the conversation.

Who is Dr. Melanie Cree?

Dr. Melanie Cree is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she directs a leading multidisciplinary PCOS clinic. Her research bridges metabolic medicine and muscle physiology, with clinical trials exploring semaglutide, amino acid therapy, liver metabolism, and insulin resistance in adolescents.

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Find Dr. Melanie Cree at:

University of Colorado - https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/22449

Find me at:

Instagram: @drgabriellelyon
TikTok: @drgabriellelyon
Facebook: facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyon

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.8	PCOS affects millions of women, yet most still struggle to get real answers.
0:07.5	If you're dealing with irregular periods, weight gain, fertility issues, or hormonal imbalances,
0:14.0	this episode, Friends, is for you.
0:16.0	Today we're sitting down with Dr. Melanie Cree, a leading pediatric endocrinologist and one of the top researchers in PCOS treatment.
0:24.6	The other side of PCO really seems to be related to type 2 diabetes.
0:30.6	The primary therapy for PCOS is lifestyle changes.
0:35.6	Today she'll be breaking down the latest breakthroughs in managing PCOS.
0:40.6	If you've ever been told that PCOS is just about losing weight or taking birth control,
0:45.6	this conversation will change the way you think about it. Dr. Melanie Cree, welcome to the show.
1:01.2	Thank you.
1:01.8	And I have to tell you, you're an MD PhD.
1:04.2	You are a physician scientist, and I just have to read this, because we look for the best of the best and you have an extraordinary track
1:15.1	record for somebody so young. So just incredible. You are a pediatric endocrinologist, associate professor
1:22.3	at the University of Colorado and Children's Hospital. You have a clinical practice. Yes. Still, focused on treating
1:32.6	adolescents, polycystic ovarian syndrome. You founded and direct the Children's Hospital,
1:39.6	Colorado. It's a multidisciplinary PCOS clinic. You are really a world leading expert, and we are just so happy to have you.
1:49.0	Thank you. Thank you. I'm happy to talk about my work.
1:52.0	We cannot wait. And before you do, I want to know why do you do what you do?
1:58.0	I think in part, I'm a third generation physician and really
2:07.2	watched my father a lot as a child and he's a family physician and he would take me on house
2:13.8	calls and I just really saw how when you take the time and the extra step, you can
2:20.6	really make a difference in people's lives. And then I'm very passionate about women's health.
	...

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