Vitamin D levels and lipid profiles in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women. Dyslipidemia is a prevalent metabolic abnormality in individuals with PCOS. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency is widespread across all societal strata, with a particularly heightened prevalence observed in patients afflicted with PCOS. The present study aimed to investigate the level of vitamin D and its correlation with lipid profiles in Iranian women diagnosed with PCOS. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the PCOS and infertility clinic of Arash Women's Hospital in Tehran. The study encompassed the medical records of PCOS patients who attended the clinic from March 2021 to December 2023. All patients underwent blood tests, which included assessments of fasting blood sugar levels, lipid profiles, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. The investigation focused on evaluating the relationship between vitamin D levels and lipid profiles. Statistical analyses, including the chi-square test and Spearman's correlation coefficient, were employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 1004 women diagnosed with PCOS were included in the study. The age range of the participants was 14 to 46 years. The majority of the participants had a body mass index (BMI) within the normal range (n = 555, 55.3%). The median vitamin D level among the participants was 26.00 (IQR: 19.00-34.00). The relationship between vitamin D levels and lipid profile parameters was assessed, revealing no significant correlation between vitamin D levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (r = 0.021, p = 0.505), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (r = 0.011, p = 0.719), or triglyceride (TG) (r = -0.026, p = 0.417) levels, both in non-adjusted and age-adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION: According to the present study, there was no significant correlation between serum 25(OH)D deficiency and elevated TG or LDL levels or decreased HDL levels in PCOS patients. Nevertheless, further prospective studies are needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and lipid profile alterations, specifically among PCOS patients.

Evaluation of the association of endometriosis and mammographic breast density, a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common benign but painful gynecologic condition. Studies suggest that the risk of some types of malignancies such as breast cancer is higher in women with endometriosis. Mammographic breast density (MBD) is known as an important predictor for breast cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between endometriosis and MBD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 women over 40 years of age. Laparoscopic surgery was carried out for the diagnosis of endometriosis. MBD was classified into four categories according to the ACR BI-RADS classification. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software to evaluate the potential association between variables. RESULTS: The mean age of all participants was 47.2 ± 6.4 years, and most participants (76.8%) were premenopausal. Multivariate analysis of the potential predictors of MBD, including age, body mass index, oral contraceptive consumption, progesterone consumption, family history of breast cancer and endometriosis showed that age (P value = 0.002), history of progesterone consumption (P value = 0.004) and endometriosis (P value = 0.006) were independent factors for MBD. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that endometriosis had an inverse association with MBD. Age and history of progesterone use were also independent influential factors for MBD. This finding shows that the positive association between breast cancer and endometriosis is not mediated through MBD.