Differences Between 25-hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Patients with Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Non-Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Systematic Review

Objectives: Treatment options for cases of pelvic organ prolapse still lead to the use of a pessary rather than a surgical method. Additional therapy is needed to help treat or prevent pelvic organ prolapse. Vitamin D deficiency has consistently been associated with decreased muscle function, so it is assumed that it will affect the pelvic floor muscles. This paper systematically explores the differences between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with pelvic organ prolapse and non-pelvic organ prolapse. Study Design: A systematic review was conducted through the PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect databases using relevant keywords. Articles published in the last 10 years—from 2012 to 2022—that were written in English, that discuss the status or effect of vitamin D on pelvic organ prolapse, and that focus on 25 OH-vitamin D were included in the review. Results: In total, 717 articles were filtered but 8 articles met the criteria. A total of 1339 women with prolapse and without prolapse with ages ranging from 20 years to 78 years were included in the study. The studies found did not use the same standard threshold in determining deficiency status. Most studies have found that there are lower levels of vitamin D in women who have had pelvic organ prolapse. A total of 7 of 8 studies confirmed the comparison of vitamin D-25OH levels in women with pelvic organ prolapse and without pelvic organ prolapse at P < 0.05. Conclusions: There are differences between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with pelvic organ prolapse and non-pelvic organ prolapse. © 2023 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada