The effect of vitamin D on the hormonal profile of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is recognized as the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age and the most common cause of infertility. Given the importance of the subject and the inconsistency of the results of the primary studies, the present study aimed at estimating the pooled effect of vitamin D on the hormonal profile of women with PCOS using systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science (WoS), Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov databases, and Google Scholar motor engine using related Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Free Text words with no time limit to April 2022. Heterogeneity among studies was quantified using I2 index. After eliminating duplicates and irrelevant studies, ultimately, 19 articles with a sample size of 450 in the intervention group and 450 in the control group were included in the meta-analysis. As a result of the combination of studies, mean the standardized difference (SMD) before and after the intervention was obtained 0.241 ± 0.098 for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), 0.330 ± 0.092 for sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), 0.707 ± 0.171 for testosterone, 0.614 ± 0.199 for luteinizing hormone (LH), 0.220 ± 0.119 for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), 0.655 ± 0.505 for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and 0.369 ± 0.109 for Free Androgen Index (FAI) in the intervention group compared to the control group. The results indicated that 8-week interventions had a greater positive effect than 12-week interventions. The results of the current meta-analysis revealed a significant positive effect of vitamin D on the hormonal profile of women with PCOS, which should be considered by obstetricians and midwives.