The Relationship between Vitamin D, Insulin Resistance and Infertility in PCOS Women

Abstract

It has been speculated that the majority of individuals in the India are deficient in Vitamin D and that Vitamin D deficiency has become an epidemic in our country. There is widespread prevalence of varying degrees (50-90%) of Vitamin D deficiency with low dietary calcium intake in Indian population according to various studies published earlier. A deficiency of Vitamin D not only causes poor bone mineralization but also has been implicated in numerous us chronic diseases. Vitamin D deficiency is common in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with the 67-85% of women with PCOS having serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D (25OHD) <20 ng/ml. Vitamin D deficiency may intensify symptoms of PCOS, with observational studies showing lower 25OHD levels were associated with insulin resistance, ovulatory and menstrual irregularities, lower pregnancy success rate, hirsutism, hyper-androgenism, obesity and elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors. There is some, but limited, evidence for beneficial effects of Vitamin D supplementation on menstrual dysfunction and insulin resistance in women with PCOS. Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in exacerbating PCOS, and there may be a place for Vitamin D supplementation in the management of this syndrome, but current evidence is limited and additional randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the potential benefits of Vitamin D supplementation in this population.