Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum vitamin D levels and to compare these with the menstrual cycle in young women with different body weights. Methods: Eighty-four students were recruited into the study of which 77 remained at the study’s completion. Women were assigned to one of two subgroups, according to their 25-hydroxy vitamin D test level [25(OH)D] in which 60 women had low 25(OH)D levels (LD < 30 ng/mL) and 17 had normal levels (ND > 30 ng/mL ≤ 80 ng/mL). Results: In the LD group, 40% of participants reported having long cycles, 27% were classified as having oligomenorrhoea, and 13% as having amenorrhoea. In the ND group, only 12% reported menstrual cycle disorders, 6% had oligomenorrhoea, and 6% had amenorrhoea. Women who did not meet the recommended level of 30 ng/mL of 25(OH)D had almost five times the odds of having menstrual cycle disorders as women who were above the recommended vitamin D level. Conclusion: A relationship was demonstrated between the frequency of menstrual disorders and low levels of vitamin D. Supplementation is necessary in women with low levels of vitamin D in order to compensate for this deficiency and to assess its effect in regulating menstrual disorders.
Highlights
Vitamin D deficiency, which arises due to insufficient exposure to sunlight and dermal synthesis from 7-dehydrocholesterol and limited intake from food and supplements, disrupts the function of all systems of the body and increases the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and mental disorders such as depression and chronic pain syndrome [1,2,3].In humans, vitamin D3 acts via the vitamin D receptor (VDR) to modulate the expression of approximately 3000 genes in various tissues including reproductive tissues such as the ovaries, uterus, and vagina [4]
This active, new area of investigation has attracted more interest recently with many studies reporting a relationship between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the symptoms of insulin resistance, hirsutism, and infertility are associated with ovulatory disorders, which can lead to sterility and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Our study aimed to examine the association of vitamin D with menstrual cycle characteristics including amenorrhoea, oligomenorrhoea, and eumenorrhoea in young women with different body weight but without PCOS
Summary
Vitamin D deficiency, which arises due to insufficient exposure to sunlight and dermal synthesis from 7-dehydrocholesterol and limited intake from food and supplements, disrupts the function of all systems of the body and increases the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and mental disorders such as depression and chronic pain syndrome [1,2,3].In humans, vitamin D3 acts via the vitamin D receptor (VDR) to modulate the expression of approximately 3000 genes in various tissues including reproductive tissues such as the ovaries, uterus, and vagina [4]. Genetic polymorphisms related to vitamin D receptors have been linked to serum levels of luteinizing hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, and insulin [5,6]. This active, new area of investigation has attracted more interest recently with many studies reporting a relationship between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the symptoms of insulin resistance, hirsutism, and infertility are associated with ovulatory disorders, which can lead to sterility and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of this study was to evaluate serum vitamin D levels and to compare these with the menstrual cycle in young women with different body weights. Supplementation is necessary in women with low levels of vitamin D in order to compensate for this deficiency and to assess its effect in regulating menstrual disorders
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