Association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and menstrual cycle length and regularity: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Background: Research examining the role of vitamin D deficiency and the development of menstrual disorders in women is of widespread interest. Studies have been published showing that supplementation with high-dose vitamin D can lead to the restoration of the menstrual cycle. We lack adequate information regarding the effect of vitamin D levels on the physiology of menstruation and further on fertility in women of reproductive age due to the contradictory results reported by studies.
 Objective: To study the association of 25-hydroxy vitamin D with menstrual cycle characteristics including long and short cycle length and cycle irregularity.
 Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum vitamin D levels of 166 women attending an outpatient department with menstrual irregularities after excluding all obvious causes of menstrual disorders (n = 83) between April-June 2019 were measured and were compared with women of similar profiles with complaints other than menstrual irregularities (n = 83).
 Results: A decreased level of vitamin D was associated with a 13.3 times odds of an irregular cycle (OR (95% CI): 13.30 (5.79-30.60), p < 0.001). 25-hydroxy vitamin D was not associated with age or body mass index. We found a significant difference (p < 0.001) in mean vitamin D levels among the females with irregular cycles vs. regular cycles.
 Conclusion: Vitamin D plays a role in the physiology of reproduction specific to the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Long-term prospective studies assessing the exact cutoff value and the exact dose of supplementation required are needed.
 Key words: Menstrual disturbances, Ovulation, Reproductive period, Vitamin D deficiency, Dietary supplements, Polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The Key Role of Vitamin D in Female Reproductive Health: A Narrative Review

“…Singh et al found that women with regular menstrual cycles had notably elevated levels of vitamin D, whereas decreased levels of vitamin D were linked to a 13-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing an irregular menstrual cycle [ 35 ].…”

Assessing women's knowledge of the effects of vitamin D on the menstrual cycle and its associated symptoms

“…Indeed, many studies have shown that there is a relationship between vitamin D and mental health; individuals with insufficient vitamin D levels have a high risk of depression (Khan et al, 2022). Recently, many studies from around the world have shown that the menstrual cycle is also affected by vitamin D. For example, in 2021, a study was conducted in India showing that vitamin D deficiency may affect the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle (Singh et al, 2021). Moreover, in the United States (US), in another study conducted in 2021, it was shown that deficiency in vitamin D has been associated to specific physical premenstrual symptoms (PMS) such as breast fullness and generalized aches and pains (Alkhalaf et al, 2021).…”

role of adequate vitamin D levels in the menstrual cycle of reproductive-age women

“…Ultimately, 16 eligible studies were assessed, and eight of these were included for a full review. 14,17,20,[24][25][26][27][28] Articles were excluded for the following reasons: duplicate paper, irrelevant title, wrong study design and population based on abstracts, and wrong outcomes based on full-text review. Figure 1 illustrates the overall process of the study selection.…”

“…Six of the eight reviewed studies were observational studies. 14,17,20,24,27,28 and the rest were randomized control trials (RCTs). 25,26 The studies included a range of 60 to 1,133 women aged 12 to 55 years.…”

“…however, insufficiency status contributed with high risk of prolonged menstrual cycle. 24 Singh et al 28 found the vitamin D status on 166 women 18-40 years who have menstrual irregularities on cross-sectional study and showed a decrease in 25(OH)D levels was correlated with a higher risk of irregular menstrual cycles. Vitamin D intake normalized the 25(OH)D levels of the participants (12-18 years) and normal menstrual length (p=0.015).…”