A recent study has shown that out of 120 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the majority showed low levels of vitamin D, and that supplementation may help reduce the risk of the development of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular complications, in addition to correcting the imbalance in blood concentrations.
The pathogenesis of PCOS is complex. Many patients with PCOS have features of metabolic syndrome such as visceral obesity, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. This means that individuals with PCOS are under high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and gynecological cancer, in particular, endometrial cancer.
Numerous studies have explored the mechanisms of metabolic dysregulation (glucose and lipids) in PCOS patients. Insulin resistance is now a well-recognized feature of PCOS and, in association with hypertension and dyslipidemia, may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events for these women.
What’s more, these risk factors are intensified by central obesity, which is present in the majority of women with PCOS, which may be due to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, which, incidentally, is also linked with vitamin D status.
This study focused on both estimating the serum level of vitamin D 25(OH) in women with PCOS and also evaluating its influence on the occurrence of metabolic syndrome, related parameters and anthropometric measurements. The study group comprised 80 women with PCOS and 40 women within a similar age range used as a control group.
The results showed most of the patients with PCOS had either deficient or suboptimal vitamin D levels. While no significant differences were found in vitamin D levels between women with and without PCOS, the study did establish that patients with PCOS had a significantly higher incidence of metabolic syndrome and BMI, as well a s a higher waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, and blood pressure.