SERUM VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY LEVELS IN INFERTILE INDIAN WOMEN: COMPARATIVE EVALUATION WITH GLOBAL EVIDENCE
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Keywords
Vitamin D deficiency; 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D); Infertility; Reproductive hormones; Ovarian function; Indian women; Assisted reproduction; Lifestyle factors
Abstract
Background: Vitamin D acts as a pleiotropic secosteroid hormone that regulates several reproductive functions, including follicular development, steroidogenesis, and endometrial receptivity. Deficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has been implicated in infertility, but human data remain inconclusive. Objective: To assess serum 25(OH)D levels in infertile Indian women compared with age-matched fertile controls, and to contextualize findings with Indian and global literature from 2017–2025. Methods: A cross-sectional case–control study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Central India. Fifty infertile women and sixty fertile controls aged 20–40 years were recruited. Participants with endocrine disorders, PCOS, or chronic illness were excluded. Serum 25(OH)D and reproductive/metabolic markers were analyzed. Comparative literature was identified using Google Scholar and PubMed. Results: Infertile women showed lower mean 25(OH)D (15.8 ± 6.3 ng/mL) than controls (24.6 ± 7.8 ng/mL; p<0.001) with a higher prevalence of deficiency (68.3% vs 36.7%, p<0.001). Vitamin D deficiency clustered with higher BMI and sedentary lifestyle. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with infertility among Indian women, consistent with international data linking hypovitaminosis D to poorer reproductive outcomes. Targeted assessment may be warranted for infertile women at risk [1–5,13].
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Sanju Acharya
Ph.D Scholar, Dept.of Physiology, Malwanchal University, Indore
Dr.Ashutosh Jain
Dept.of Physiology, IMCH&RC, Indore
