Key words
polycystic ovary syndrome - vitamin D - systematic review - randomized controlled
trials
Introduction
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of
reproductive age (15–44 years), with a prevalence of 5–10%
[1]. PCOS is known as a reproductive
disorder that is characterized by polycystic ovaries, menstrual abnormalities,
hyperandrogenism, chronic inflammation, infertility, obesity, and increased risk of
type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Although
several diagnostic criteria have been reported for PCOS, Rotterdam criteria are
known to be the most appropriate and important. In May 2003 a consensus workshop was
held in Rotterdam indicated the diagnosis of PCOS was made by the presence of at
least two of the following features: irregular or failed ovulation, clinical
symptoms, and laboratory findings of hyperandrogenism or the presence of polycystic
ovarian morphology confirmed by ultrasonography [2]. Another common characteristic in PCOS patients is insulin resistance,
which plays a vital role in its pathogenesis. Today, 50–80% of
patients with PCOS exhibit insulin resistance syndrome [3]. However, the etiology of insulin resistance
in PCOS is not entirely clear, and many studies are examining the efficiency of
insulin resistance reduction strategies in PCOS treatment.
Recently, there has been a focus on vitamin D supplementation as an adjunct of PCOS
[4]. Many studies have demonstrated that
vitamin D deficiency is common among women with PCOS, with 67–85%
having serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] concentrations of 20
<ng/ml (or 50 nmol/l) [5]. Ovulation problems, menstrual irregularities, and infertility are
subsequent challenges encountered during the periods of low vitamin D status [2]. Also, vitamin D deficiency is associated
with increased insulin resistance and elevated levels of total testosterone and
dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in patients with PCOS [6]
[7]. The active form of vitamin D,
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a steroid hormone, which binds to nuclear
receptors and regulates the expression of many genes until it reaches its target
tissue for initial effect [8]
[9]. The primary role of vitamin D is in bone
mineralization and other metabolic processes in the human body, such as calcium and
phosphate homeostasis and skeletal growth [10]. Vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are distributed across various human tissues,
including ovary and endometrium, suggesting an active role of vitamin D in female
reproductive tissues [6]
[8]. Lastly, PCOS is also related to abnormal
calcium and phosphate metabolism, and the patients are characterized by elevated
levels of phosphorus and parathyroid hormone (PTH) and decreased levels of vitamin
D, which may be associated with obesity [6]
[11].
Low vitamin D status correlates with obesity, which is one of the fastest-growing
health concerns worldwide. Studies involving large cohorts have found that obesity
is inversely associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations [12]
[13]. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with
increased insulin resistance, testosterone, and DHEAS levels, which are important
risk factors of PCOS [14]. However, studies on
vitamin D supplementation in obese patients with PCOS have yielded mixed results.
Some of the studies suggest beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and insulin
resistance, especially when vitamin D is given continuously in lower (<4000
IU/day) doses, and improvements in menstrual frequency and hyperandrogenism,
whereas others demonstrate no significant improvements [15]
[16]. Therefore, the objective of this
systematic review is to quantitatively summarize existing evidence to determine
whether vitamin D supplementation will have a positive effect on the metabolic and
hormonal functions in women with PCOS.
Materials and Methods
Search strategy and engines
Relevant studies were identified from the following databases:
Medline/PubMed and Web of Science. Databases were searched using the
search strategy from the earliest available date to 20 May 2019. The search
strategy included the terms of PCOS, vitamin D supplementation, and vitamin D
and polycystic ovary syndrome. We also manually searched reference lists of all
eligible articles and previous reviews on relevant topics for additional
studies.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
All human studies with randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
design published in the English language from 2008 to 2019 were assessed.
Studies were included in the review if they fulfilled the following criteria:
(1) reporting data from all women 18–45 years of age with PCOS; (2)
presented the comparison of metabolic or endocrine parameters between vitamin D
supplementation and placebo groups, high and low doses of vitamin D
supplementation, and calcium plus vitamin D supplementation; and (3) enrolled
women who were diagnosed with PCOS using Rotterdam European Society of Human
Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/ American Society of Reproductive
Medicine (ASRM) or National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria.
Studies were excluded from the study if they met the following criteria: (1)
studies that enrolled women who were pregnant during the study; (2) studies
reporting diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes or impaired glucose
tolerance, or other hormone-related disorders; (3) articles not published in
English and (4) studies that were not specific about the diagnosis of PCOS.
Data extraction
Ultimately, a total of ten studies met the selection criteria. From each study,
the following information was extracted: the first author’s name; year
of publication; place and year of data collection; study design; type and size
of the sample; diagnostic criteria for PCOS; the interventions subjects received
(type and frequency); and the primary outcomes. We extracted the results of
interest at the longest point of completed follow up which included serum
vitamin D levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), C-reactive protein (CRP),
total testosterone, homeostasis model of assessment- estimated insulin
resistance (HOMA-IR), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG),
dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), modified Ferriman–Gallwey
(mF-G), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and regular menstrual
cycles.
To determine the sample size, all studies considered type one error at 0.05 and
type two error of 0.20 (power = 80%). Also, each used the
Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to examine the normal distribution of variables.
One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect differences in
anthropometric characteristics and dietary intakes between the groups. The
p-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results
A total of ten studies were included in this systematic review as shown in [Fig. 1]. Seven studies compared the effect of
vitamin D supplementation with placebo [5]
[7]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21], two studies compared calcium plus
vitamin D with placebo [17]
[22], and one study compared low and high dose
of vitamin D with metformin [15]. Vitamin D
was given in a daily dose of 4000 IU/day, and metformin tablet at initial
dose of 500 mg, which was gradually increased during the first 3 weeks to 1500
mg/day to minimize the side effects [15]. Eight studies defined PCOS based on criteria of Rotterdam European
Society for Human Reproduction & Embryology, and two defined PCOS based on
NIH criteria. Studies were conducted in Iran, the United States of America, Austria,
and the United Kingdom. The characteristics and results of included studies are
presented in [Tables 1] and [2].
Fig. 1 Flow chart showing the selection of articles for this
systematic review.
Table 1 Summary of the study characteristics of the randomized
controlled trials.
Subjects
|
Study Design
|
Diagnostic Criteria
|
Interventions
|
Reference
|
Insulin resistant (HOMAR-IR >2.5) Aged 18–40
years (n = 90) Arak, Iran from March 2016 to December
2016
|
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomly assigned into three groups to take either high dose
vitamin D + metformin (4000 IU/day) or
low dose vitamin D+metformin
(1000 IU/day) or vitamin D placebo+
metformin for 12 weeks
|
[15]
|
Insulin resistance in the range of 1.4–4 (BMI =
17–34 kg/m2) Aged
18–40 years (n = 60) Iran
|
Randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomized to take 50 000 IU vitamin D every 2 weeks plus
8 × 109 CFU/probiotic or placebo for
12 weeks
|
[7]
|
Infertile women with PCOS Aged 18–40 years (n =
40) Iran
|
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomly assigned into two intervention groups to receive either
50 000 IU vitamin D or placebo every other week for 8
weeks
|
[18]
|
Overweight vitamin D deficient women diagnosed with PCOS Aged
18–40 years (n = 104) Iran
|
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trail
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomly divided into four groups. Group A: 1000 mg
calcium daily and vitamin D placebo weekly Group B:
50 000 IU vitamin D weekly and calcium placebo
daily Group C: 1000 mg calcium plus
50 000 IU vitamin D weekly Group D: calcium
placebo daily plus vitamin D placebo weekly for 8 weeks
|
[21]
|
Vitamin D deficient (serum concentrations
<20 ng/ml) Phenotype B
(oligo-anovulation and hyperandrogenism) Aged 18–40
years (n = 70) Kosar Clinic in Iran between April 2016
and June 2016
|
Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomly allocated into 2 groups to take either
50 000 IU vitamin D or placebo every 2 weeks for
12 weeks
|
[19]
|
Vitamin D deficient Aged 18–45 years (n = 40)
Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism Unit, Hull
University Teaching Hospital in United Kingdom
|
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Randomized to vitamin D (3200 IU) or placebo daily for 3
months
|
[5]
|
Referred to obstetrics and gynecology clinic of Al Zahra hospital
Aged 20–40 years (n = 80) Chronic unovulation,
clinical or biochemical evidence of hyperandrogenism, and roll
out of other causes (thyroid stimulating hormone, follicle-
stimulating hormone, prolactin and testosterone measurement)
|
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial
|
NIH criteria
|
First group, metformin group; received
1 500 mg/day Second, metformin plus
calcium and vitamin D; received
1 500 mg/day metformin plus
1000 mg/day calcium plus
50 000 IU/2 weeks of vitamin D. Third,
calcium and vitamin D; received 1000 mg/day
calcium plus 50 000 IU/2 weeks of
vitamin D Last, placebo group; received two low calorie
sweetener tablets per day.
|
[17]
|
Aged 18–45 years (n = 22) Recruited through
Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics at Penn State
|
Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial
|
NIH criteria
|
Randomized to take either vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
12 000 IU or placebo daily for 12 weeks
|
[20]
|
Vitamin D deficient Aged 18–45 years (n = 86)
Clinics of endocrine disease at Golestan and Inam Khomeini
Hospitals of Ahvaz, Iran
|
Randomized-blinded clinical trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
The patients were randomized into two groups depending upon their
vitamin D and BMI. One group of 42 patients received a vitamin D
dose of 50 000 IU monthly. The other group of 44
patients received a vitamin D dose of 50 000 IU
weekly. The patient’s markers were tested after 8 months
of treatment
|
[11]
|
Premenopausal women with PCOS and 25- hydroxyvitamin D
concentrations <75 nmol/l Aged
>18 years (n =123) Medical University of Graz,
Austria
|
Single- center, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial
|
Rotterdam criteria
|
Subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either receive
20 000 IU of cholecalciferol weekly or placebo
over 24 weeks
|
[23]
|
Table 2 Summary of findings from the randomized controlled
trials.
Reference
|
Results
|
[15]
|
Significant increase in 25(OH) D values (p<0.001)
compared with low dose and placebo group. Significant reductions
in FPG (p = 0.009), serum insulin levels (p =
0.003), HOMA-IR (p = 0.004), total testosterone (p
= 0.02), hirsutism (p = 0.001) and CRP (p
= 0.01) compared to low dose and placebo group.
Significant elevations in mean change of SHBG (p<0.001)
and TAC (p<0.001) in high dose group compared with low-
dose and placebo group.
|
[7]
|
Vitamin D and probiotic improved beck depression inventory (p
= 0.04), general health questionnaire (p=0.03)
and depression anxiety and stress scale (p = 0.02)
compared with placebo. Significant reduction in total
testosterone (p<0.001), hirsutism (p<0.001), CRP
(p<0.001) and MDA levels (p = 0.001) compared to
placebo. Significant increase in TAC (p<0.001) and GSH
levels (p = 0.02).
|
[18]
|
Vitamin D supplementation led to a significant reduction in serum
anti-Müllerian hormone (p = 0.02), insulin
levels ( p = 0.007), HOMA-IR (p = 0.008)
compared to placebo. Significantly decreased serum total (p
= 0.03) and LDL cholesterol levels (p =
0.04).
|
[21]
|
Those taking calcium plus vitamin D supplements had greater
decreases in HOMA-B (p = 0.03), serum high sensitivity
CRP (p = 0.04) and plasma MDA concentrations (p
= 0.009). Significant increases in plasma TAC (p
= 0.006) and GSH levels (p = 0.001) compared
with calcium alone, vitamin D alone and placebo groups.
|
[19]
|
Compared to placebo, vitamin D supplementation significantly
decreased FPG (p = 0.02), insulin (0.004), HOMA- B (p
= 0.005), and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity
check index (p = 0.007). Significant reductions in serum
CRP (p = 0.009), and MDA levels (p = 0.01).
|
[5]
|
Greater increases in vitamin D levels were shown in the
supplementation group (p<0.001). Between group
comparisons revealed significant differences in ALT (p =
0.0042), and a weak effect indicating a greater reduction in
HOMA-IR in the vitamin D group (p = 0.051).
|
[17]
|
Regular menstrual cycle and dominant follicle after intervention
in both group was significantly increased (p = 0.001).
Hirsutism significantly improved after the intervention in only
the second group (p = 0.001).
|
[20]
|
Within the vitamin D group, there was a significant increase in
serum 25 (OH) D from baseline to 12 weeks (p <0.001).
Changes in QUICKI, other measures of glucose and insulin
metabolism, HOMA-IR, and a reduction in the 2 h insulin
level at 12 weeks (p = 0.005).
|
[11]
|
Significant difference in the level of FBS before and after the
treatment (p<0.05). No significant difference in the
metabolic parameters and HOMA-IR.
|
[23]
|
Vitamin D supplementation led to a significant increase in
25(OH)D (p<0.001) but had no significant effect on
AUCgluc (p = 0.139). Regarding secondary outcome
measures, a significant decrease in plasma glucose at
60 min during oral glucose tolerance test (p =
0.045) was observed.
|
In all studies reporting metabolic profiles, fasting blood samples were taken at
baseline and after the treatment. Serum 25(OH) D, insulin, serum CRP, and DHEAS were
determined by an ELISA kit. Insulin- resistance was considered as HOMA-IR
>2.5. Lastly, serum total testosterone and SHBG with inter and assay
coefficient variation (CV) of 3–9%, was determined by commercial
kits. All measurements included in these studies were measured at baseline and after
the treatment.
Vitamin D supplementation has shown to significantly increase the level of serum
25(OH) D (p <0.001) in patients treated with vitamin D compared with placebo
or a low dosage of vitamin D in nine studies [5]
[7]
[15]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[23]. The effect of vitamin D supplementation
on glycemic status and insulin sensitivity was also reported in all the studies. As
shown in [Fig. 1], the main outcomes showed
that vitamin D supplementation resulted in beneficial effects on metabolic profiles,
including fasting plasma glucose and insulin level, total testosterone, HOMA-IR,
hirsutism, and CRP. The seven studies that compared the effect of vitamin D
supplementation with placebo, showed significant reductions in the total
testosterone (p<0.001), insulin levels (p=0.007), hirsutism
(p<0.001), HOMA-IR (p=0.008), and CRP (p<0.001) [2]
[5]
[7]
[18]
[19]
[21]
[23]. However, vitamin D supplementation was
negatively correlated with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI)
and fasting glucose [20]. One of the studies
investigated supplementation of vitamin D3 and the effect on metabolic
parameters and HOMA- IR showing no significant results throughout the whole
intervention of 8 months [11]. Two studies
combined the effect of vitamin D supplementation and calcium with placebo,
established that those taking calcium plus vitamin D supplements had greater
decrease in homeostatic model assessment beta-cell function (HOMA-B)
(p=0.03), serum high sensitivity CRP (p=0.04) and plasma MDA
concentrations (p=0.009) compared with calcium alone, vitamin D alone and
placebo groups [17]
[22]. The study that compared high dose of
vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 12 000 IU supplementation with placebo for
12 weeks, showed no significant difference in QUICKI, fasting insulin, fasting
glucose, and HOMA-IR. However, decreased 2-hour insulin (p=0.05) and lower
glucose level was observed with vitamin D supplementation [20]. The vitamin D dose used was significantly
higher than the vitamin D guidelines, which could lead to serious adverse effects
[20]. A recent study conducted in Austria
found that supplementation of vitamin D does not have a significant effect on plasma
glucose area under the curve (AUCglu) after 24 weeks, but it significantly reduced
the plasma glucose during oral glucose tolerance test [21]. This suggests that vitamin D had no
significant effects on metabolic or endocrine parameters [21].
Metformin can cause a significant improvement in weight, insulin level, body mass
index, insulin resistance, and parathyroid hormone. However, since metformin was
coupled with the two dosages, metformin did not have any side effects with the
amount given to the groups, or significant effect in HOMA-IR (or other parameters
of
PCOS) was observed after 12 weeks of metformin treatment in the placebo and the low
dose vitamin D group. This may be due to lack of efficacy of metformin in the cohort
[15].
Seven out of the ten studies that were included in this systematic review were
controlled trials held in the country of Iran. It must be considered that in many
of
these studies, baseline levels of vitamin D among insulin-resistant patients with
PCOS are low. However, vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in Iranian women due
to their particular form of dressing and coverage. Earlier studies in Iran have
shown that PCOS is prevalent among 20% of adult women and vitamin D
deficiency affects 75% of women. The other three studies were conducted in
the United States, United Kingdom, and Austria, respectively.
Discussion
We conducted a systematic review of the randomized controlled trials to determine
the
efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on the metabolic and hormonal profiles in
women with PCOS. Moreover, it seems from the literature that women with PCOS and
vitamin D deficiency respond less favorably to glucose metabolism. Evidence suggests
that vitamin D supplementation can increase serum 25(OH) D levels of patients with
PCOS. We found that the use of vitamin D supplementation for PCOS patients may
improve insulin resistance and other metabolic profiles, especially when combined
with calcium.
Vitamin D deficiency is common in women with and without PCOS, with
10–60% of adults having serum levels lower than 20 ng/ml
[2]
[10]. Accumulating evidence indicates that
serum vitamin D may play important roles, such as in enhancing insulin synthesis and
release, and increasing insulin receptor expression or suppression of
proinflammatory cytokines that possibly contribute to the development of insulin
resistance [15]. The metabolic syndrome is
characterized as a chronic state of low-grade inflammation with increased levels of
tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) [24]. This might be due to the alteration of the
tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases 3-TNF-α converting enzyme (TIMP3-TACE)
dyad in skeletal muscle [25]
[26]
[27]. Insulin resistance increases
hyperandrogenism through insulin increasing ovarian androgen production and reducing
SHBG production. Metabolically, insulin resistance is associated with an increased
risk for impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular
disease [1]. Therefore, vitamin D plays a
vital role in the development of PCOS. From many of the studies observed, we
obtained the consistent results that vitamin D supplementation did influence insulin
metabolism, but did not affect glucose parameters in PCOS patients, despite a
significant increase in serum 25(OH) D. However, many of the studies in this review
included participants who were overweight and obese. Rashidi et al. suggest that
there were no significant associations between 25(OH) D and metabolic parameters in
non-obese women with PCOS [11]. Metformin can
reduce the hyper androgenic signs and symptoms of PCOS patients by reducing the
levels of androgen [17]. In a clinical trial,
combination of metformin, vitamin D and calcium showed significant improvement on
the menstural regularity and hyperandrogenic symptoms of PCOS patients compared to
treatment with metformin alone [17]. Also, as
vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among women at reproductive age, the role
of only vitamin D supplementation in fertility treatment was not discussed in many
of these articles. There is not enough evidence indicating whether or not the
treatment with vitamin D supplementation causes any significant changes in the
menstrual cycles or dominant follicles.
The strengths of this review included specified inclusion and exclusion criteria of
studies, the comprehensive literature search, articles that were relatively new, and
the different parameters each study measured. However, this review had some
limitations. First, many of the studies enrolled a small number of participants and
had short duration of treatment and follow-up. Second, most of the studies were done
in Iran, which is a country that has unique cultural features. In this case, we do
not know what allowed many of the subjects to be vitamin D deficient. Despite the
limitations of the review, there appears to be sufficient evidence that there are
some beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on the metabolic profiles of
women with PCOS.
Conclusions
The current systematic review shows that vitamin D supplementation can improve some
of the metabolic parameters in patients with PCOS, although there is not sufficient
evidence that glucose metabolism is affected. Further studies should focus on the
benefits of vitamin D supplementation on hormonal, metabolic profiles, and female
reproduction in obese and non-obese women with PCOS. Also, there needs to be future
studies on the role of vitamin D and its receptors on these different parameters in
the body. Due to limited evidence, adding high quality randomized, double-blinded,
placebo-controlled trials with large sample sizes, longer treatment durations, and
follow up that evaluates the female reproduction, hormonal, and metabolic profiles
is necessary. Future research on this topic may provide robust evidence about
vitamin D supplementation and its use as therapy towards improving insulin
sensitivity that could lower the risk of PCOS.