In a recent randomized controlled trial accepted for publication in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers explored vitamin D supplementation as an adjunct to dienogest (Verogest) therapy in women with endometriosis. After eight weeks of the trial, participants receiving vitamin D had numerically lower adjusted mean scores on the pain measures than those receiving a placebo. Nevertheless, the differences were neither statistically significant nor clinically meaningful, leaving the therapeutic role of vitamin D to be clarified in longer-term clinical trials.
Endometriosis affects millions of women worldwide and remains one of the leading causes of infertility. Individuals living with this estrogen-dependent condition experience debilitating pelvic pain due to the growth of endometrial-like glands and stroma beyond the uterine cavity. These lesions are most commonly found in the pelvic peritoneum and ovaries but can also occur at extra-pelvic sites such as the bowel and diaphragm and are associated with local inflammation, immune dysregulation, and chronic pain.
Owing to its effects on immune regulation, vitamin D has been proposed as a potential therapeutic option for people with endometriosis. In animal models, vitamin D reduced the area of endometriotic lesions and decreased fibrosis. In cultured human endometrial stromal cells, vitamin D3 also suppressed interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α responses. Nevertheless, clinical trials have shown mixed results. These preclinical observations have not yet translated into consistent clinical benefits for patients.
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