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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: EJE-09-0432v1 161/4/575    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Wehr, E Articles by Obermayer-Pietsch, B PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wehr, E Articles by Obermayer-Pietsch, B

Association of hypovitaminosis D with metabolic disturbances in polycystic ovary syndrome

Divison of Endocrinology and Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, A-8036 Graz, Austria¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 14, A-8036 Graz, Austria² Department of Dermatology, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 8, A-8036 Graz, Austria

(Correspondence should be addressed to E Wehr; Email: elisabeth.wehr{at}stud.meduni-graz.at)

Objectives: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently suffer from metabolic disturbances, in particular from insulin resistance. Accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome (MS). Hence, the aim of our study was to investigate the association of 25(OH)D levels and the components of the MS in PCOS women.

Methods: 25(OH)D levels were measured by means of ELISA in 206 women affected by PCOS. Metabolic, endocrine, and anthropometric measurements and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.

Results: The prevalence of insufficient 25(OH)D levels (<30 ng/ml) was 72.8% in women with PCOS. PCOS women with the MS had lower 25(OH)D levels than PCOS women without these features (17.3 vs 25.8 ng/ml respectively; P<0.05). In multivariate regression analysis including 25(OH)D, season, body mass index (BMI), and age, 25(OH)D and BMI were independent predictors of homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI; P<0.05 for all). In binary logistic regression analyses, 25(OH)D (OR 0.86, P=0.019) and BMI (OR 1.28, P<0.001) were independent predictors of the MS in PCOS women. We found significantly negative correlations of 25(OH)D levels with BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting and stimulated glucose, area under the glucose response curve, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, triglycerides, and quotient total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and positive correlations of 25(OH)D levels with QUICKI and HDL (P<0.05 for all).

Conclusion: We demonstrate that low 25(OH)D levels are associated with features of the MS in PCOS women. Large intervention trials are warranted to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic disturbances in PCOS women.