Vitamin D and Metabolic Disturbances in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2018 Dec 5

PMID 30513089

Citations 28

Authors

Y H M Krul-Poel

P P Koenders

R P Steegers-Theunissen

E Ten Boekel

M M ter Wee

Y Louwers

P Lips

J S E Laven

S Simsek

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To compare vitamin D status in women with PCOS versus fertile women and subsequently evaluate the association between vitamin D status and metabolic disturbances in PCOS women.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional comparison study of 639 women with PCOS and 449 fertile women. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was stratified into a severe deficient (< 25 nmol/l), insufficient (25-50 nmol/l), moderate (50-75 nmol/l) and adequate (> 75 nmol/l) status. The main outcome measures were the difference in vitamin D status between PCOS and fertile women, and the association between serum 25(OH)D and metabolic disturbances in PCOS women only.

Results: Serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower in PCOS women compared to fertile controls (mean 25(OH)D of 49.0 nmol/l versus 64.5 nmol/l). An adjusted significant difference was seen between serum 25(OH)D and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) (β = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63-0.91; p < 0.01), HDL-cholesterol (β = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.05-0.60, p < 0.01) and apolipoprotein A1 (β = 26.2; 95% CI: 7.5-45.0, p < 0.01) between the highest vitamin D group compared to the lowest vitamin D group.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that women with PCOS have a significantly lower serum 25(OH)D compared to fertile controls. A compromised vitamin D status in PCOS women is associated with a higher HOMA-IR and an unfavourable lipid profile. Large randomized controlled trials are necessary to explore the causality of this linkage.

Citing Articles

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Is vitamin D deficiency a more frequent finding in hirsutism or not?.

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Gao B, Zhang C, Wang D, Li B, Shan Z, Teng W J Ovarian Res. 2024; 17(1):95.

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