PREVALENCE OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH INSULIN RESISTANCE AMONG INDIAN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME: EVIDENCE FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

The current study aims to assess whether circulating levels of 25(OH) D are related to insulin resistance in PCOS individuals, or whether this association is confounded by other pathophysiological factors related to the syndrome. This cross-sectional study included 151 women who were diagnosed with PCOS based on the Rotterdam consensus, recruited from a tertiary healthcare center in South Gujarat, India. Data collection encompassed anthropometric parameter (BMI and WC) and biochemical indices (fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and serum 25(OH)D levels). Vitamin D levels were used to classify participants into three distinct categories: deficiency (serum 25(OH) D level <20 ng/mL), insufficiency (serum 25(OH)D level 20–32 ng/mL), and sufficiency (serum 25(OH)D level>32 ng/mL). From the total participants, 115 (76.15%) exhibited suboptimal serum 25(OH)D levels. Insulin resistance is characterized by HOMA-IR value (>2.5) and QUICKI value (<0.349), was observed in 69.5% of the cohort. While a substantial proportion74.3% of individuals with low level of vitamin D also demonstrated insulin resistance. Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a non-significant difference in IR across vitamin D categories. In supporting to that correlation coefficient was found very weak and non-significant among serum 25(OH)D concentrations and insulin resistance parameters, including fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, QUICKI. Despite a higher prevalence of insulin resistance amid individuals with deficient vitamin D, this investigation did not demonstrate a significant relationship between circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and insulin resistance in females affected by polycystic ovary syndrome. Larger controlled studies with adjustment for adiposity and other confounders are needed to confirm these findings.