High dose vitamin D supplementation can improve menstrual problems, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome in adolescents

Abstract

Vitamin D has a crucial role in female reproduction, possibly through its effects on calcium homeostasis, cyclic sex steroid hormone fluctuations, or neurotransmitter function. We have assessed the effects of vitamin D supplementation on dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in adolescents. In this study, 897 adolescent girls living in Mashhad and Sabzevar, Iran, received nine high-dose vitamin D supplements (as 50,000 IU/week of cholecalciferol) and were followed up over 9 weeks. We evaluated the effect of vitamin D supplementation on individuals in four categories: those with only PMS; individuals with only dysmenorrhea; subjects with both PMS and dysmenorrhea and normal subjects. The prevalence of PMS after the intervention fell from 14.9% to 4.8% (p < .001). Similar results were also found for the prevalence of subjects with dysmenorrhea (35.9% reduced to 32.4%), and in subjects with both PMS and dysmenorrhea (32.7% reduced 25.7%). Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a reduction in the incidence of several symptoms of PMS such as backache and tendency to cry easily as well as decrement in pain severity of dysmenorrhea (p < .05). High dose vitamin D supplementation can reduce the prevalence of PMS and dysmenorrhea as well as has positive effects on the physical and psychological symptoms of PMS.

Chinese abstract

高剂量维生素D补充可改善青少年月经问题、痛经及经前期综合征

摘要

通过对钙稳态、循环类固醇激素波动和神经递质功能的影响, 维生素D在女性生殖中起着关键作用。我们评估了补充维生素D对青少年痛经和经前期综合征（PMS）的影响。本研究对居住在伊朗Mashhad和Sabzevar的897名青少年女性进行了9次高剂量维生素D补充剂（每天50,000IU维生素D3）并随访9周。研究评估了维生素D补充对4类人群的影响：仅PMS；仅痛经；同时具有PMS和痛经；正常受试者。维生素D3干预后PMS患病率由14.9%下降到4.8%（P＜0.001）。痛经患者的患病率表现出相似的明显下降趋势（32.7%减少了25.7%）。维生素D补充还与PMS症状的发生率降低相关, 如背痛、易哭泣倾向及痛经的减轻（P＜.05）。高剂量维生素D补充剂可减少PMS和痛经的患病率, 且对PMS的身体和心理症状均有积极影响。

关键词: 维生素D补充；月经周期；经前期综合征；痛经

Keywords:

• Vitamin D supplementation
• menstrual cycle
• premenstrual syndrome
• dysmenorrhea

Acknowledgements

This article was part of the PhD thesis of Afsane Bahrami (941524). We are grateful to all study participants, their parents, and school personnel.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants 941524 (Sadeghnia), 931188 (Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan) from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.