Gynecology & Obstetrics
Open Access

Abstract

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

Dipanshu Sur and Ratnabali Chakravorty

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.