Endometriosis treated, and perhaps prevented, by vitamin D - many studies

Introduction:
Endometrial tissue inside the uterus expands and then is shed during menstruation.
Sometimes the tissue attaches itself on the outside of the uterus or elsewhere in the body.
It continues to cycle in size with each menstrual cycle.
Normally the autoimmune system destroys these attachments.
There is some effort to call Endo an autoimmune disorder
Note: High-Dose Vitamin D + Magnesium + Omega-3 is claimed to treat 95% of all autoimmune disorders.

---

Endometriosis reduced by periodic 50,000 IU of vitamin D - meta-analysis July 2024

The impact of vitamin D treatment on pregnancy rate among endometriosis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Annals of Medicine & Surgery 86(7):p 4098-4111, July 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000002174
Shrateh, Oadi N. MDa,*; Siam, Haneen A. MDa; Ashhab, Yasmeen S. MDa; Sweity, Raneen R. MDa; Naasan, Mashhour MDb

Background:
Vitamin D supplementation is supposed to have an important role in the management of several endometriosis-related aspects, offering potential relief to affected individuals. Herein, the authors aim to evaluate the impact of vitamin D on pregnancy rates and clinical symptoms in women with endometriosis.

Methods: The authors extensively searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, and CINAHL from their inception to 20 July 2023.

Results:
Three randomized controlled trials involving 167 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The findings demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation exhibits efficacy in alleviating dysmenorrhea associated with endometriosis, as evidenced by a meta-analysis showing a significant reduction in dysmenorrhea (mean difference −1.41, 95% CI −2.61 to −0.22, P = 0.02). However, the impact on dyspareunia was inconclusive, with a non-significant mean difference of –0.2 (95% CI −1.62 to 1.22, P = 0.78). In contrast, dyschezia significantly decreased with vitamin D supplementation (mean difference −1.10, 95% CI −2.22 to 0.02, P = 0.05 However, the meta-analysis did not show a significant effect of vitamin D on chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.

Conclusion:
While antioxidant vitamin D supplementation demonstrates general effectiveness in alleviating endometriosis symptoms, such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and dyschezia, the existing literature lacks direct investigations into the specific impact of vitamin D on enhancing pregnancy rates among endometriosis patients. This observation prompts various hypotheses, suggesting that the positive effects of vitamin D supplementation on endometriosis-related symptoms may indirectly contribute to improved pregnancy outcomes and enhanced fertility.
No such attachment on this page
1 trial: 50,000 IU weekly,   2nd trial: 50,000 IU bi-weekly

Clipped from PDF:". It predominantly affects women in their reproductive years,
with an estimated prevalence ranging from 5 to 10%"

---

171 Pubmed items on endometriosis and (omega-3 OR "Vitamin d") as of June 2024

PubMed

• Vitamin D and reproductive disorders: a comprehensive review with a focus on endometriosis May 2024 FREE PDF
• Vitamin D-The Iceberg in Endometriosis-Review and Meta-Analysis - 2024 Jan 20;14(1):119. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14010119 FREE PDF
• Association between vitamin D and endometriosis among American women: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2024 Jan 12;19(1):e0296190. https://doi.org10.1371/journal.pone.0296190 FREE PDF
• The effect of two anti-inflammatory dietary components, omega-3 and resveratrol, on endometriosis - 2023 Sep . https://doi.org10.5603/gpl.97573. FREE PDF
• A Systematic Review of Vitamin D and Endometriosis- Role in Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention - Dec 2020 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xfnr.2022.11.005
• Dietary supplements for treatment of endometriosis: A review.- 2022 Mar doi: 10.23750/abm.v93i1.11237 FREE PDF
• The effect of vitamin D supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic profiles in patients with endometriosis
  • Jan 2021 https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2021.1878138
• Dietary supplements for treatment of endometriosis: A review - 2022 Mar doi: 10.23750/abm.v93i1.11237
  • vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, omega 3, propolis, quercetin, curcumin, N-acetylcysteine, probiotics, resveratrol, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and epigallocatechin-3-gallate
• Vitamin D significance in pathogenesis of endometriosis. - 2021 doi: 10.1080/09513590.2021.2006516.
• Is there a Relationship Between Vitamin D and Endometriosis? An Overview of the Literature - 2019
  • "More studies needed" doi: 10.2174/1381612825666190722095401
• Vitamin D and Endometrium: A Systematic Review of a Neglected Area of Research - Aug 2019 FREE PDF 10.3390/ijms19082320
• Endo 5X more likely if the woman avoids the sun - free PDF - cited by the following
  • Epidemiology of endometriosis and its comorbidities - 2017: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.04.021
  • Risk for and consequences of endometriosis: A critical epidemiologic review - 2018 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.06.001
  • Prevalence and Symptomatic Burden of Diagnosed Endometriosis in the United States: National Estimates from a Cross-Sectional Survey of 59,411 Women - 2017 10.1159/000452660
• Effects of Vitamin D on Endometriosis-Related Pain: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial doi: 10.12659/MSM.901838 Dec 2016 FREE PDF
• Stress Influences the Vitamin D-Vitamin D Receptor System and Macrophages in an Animal Model of Endometriosis April 2016
• No Link Found Between Vitamin D and Endometriosis April 2018
  • only a weak link would be expected if the problem is with the Vitamin D Receptor

---

Effects of vitamin D supplementation in endometriosis: a systematic review - Dec 2022

Reprod Biol Endocrinol . 2022 Dec 28;20(1):176. doi: 10.1186/s12958-022-01051-9.
Dimitrios Rafail Kalaitzopoulos 1 2, Nicolas Samartzis 3, Angelos Daniilidis 4, Brigitte Leeners 5, Sofia Makieva 5, Konstantinos Nirgianakis 6, Ioannis Dedes 7, Julian Matthias Metzler 7, Patrick Imesch 7, Ioannis G Lempesis 8 9 10

Background: There is a growing body of human, animal and in vitro studies on vitamin D (vit D) substitution in endometriosis. The aim of this systematic review is to critically appraise and qualitatively synthesize the results of the available studies that examine the supplementation of vit D for endometriosis treatment.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in four electronic databases (Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase) and grey literature for original research articles on humans, animals and in vitro models published in any language.

Results: Four human studies, four animal studies and four in vitro studies were included. Quantitative synthesis of human studies showed no significant effect of vit D intake for dysmenorrhea (2 studies, 44 vit D vs 44 placebo, mean -0.71, 95% CI -1.94, 0.51) and non-cyclic pelvic pain (2 studies, 42 vit D vs 38 placebo, mean 0.34, 95% CI -0.02, 0.71). Regarding reproductive outcomes in women with endometriosis after in vitro fertilization, the only available study showed no differences between women taking vit D and women taking placebo. Three of the four included animal studies showed regression of endometriotic implants when treated with vit D. The in vitro studies demonstrated that vit D decreases invasion and proliferation of endometriotic lesions without affecting apoptosis.

Conclusions: Although in vitro and animal studies suggest regression of the endometriotic implants and decrease of invasion and proliferation after vit D supplementation, this was not reflected in the results of the meta-analysis, which showed no benefit of vit D supplementation in patients with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea or non-cyclic pelvic pain as well as on the outcome of IVF treatment. However, given the heterogeneity and the diversity of the available studies, more research is required to shed light on the role of vit D supplementation in women with endometriosis.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

Nutrition (including Vitamin D) needed to prevent Endometriosis - Dec 2022

I Am the 1 in 10—What Should I Eat? A Research Review of Nutrition in Endometriosis https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245283

PDF Table of Contents

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

Endometriosis treated by Vitamin D – RCT Jan 2021

Endometriosis treated by Vitamin D (50,000 IU bi-weekly) – RCT Jan 2021

---

Endometriosis funding proposed to double in 2020 - congresswoman who had it pushed for research

Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa), the second-youngest congresswoman in history

• Now $29 million/year for a problem which 10% of women wolrdwide have and takes 7.5 years to diagnose
• "It affects so many women — women who may not know they even have it; or who were told that their pain, which can be very severe, is normal; or those who struggle with infertility for years and may not know that this could be why; or women who have hysterectomies at a young age, because they’re in so much pain and don’t realize that it could be endometriosis."
• "we actually know that we lose about $78 billion a year out of the workforce because of the fact that this can, again, attack women in very different ways."

EVERY Vitamin D Receptor Activator appears to treat Endometriosis- Fall 2019

Searched Google for endometriosis and Vitamin D Receptor activators
The following search results give strong hints that the Vitamin D Receptor is associated with Endo

• Natural Treatments for Endometriosis Oct 2019
  • Progesterone Cream, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Ginger Tea, stress reduction includes Zinc & Magnesium

Resveratrol in VitaminDWiki

• Therapeutic Approaches of Resveratrol on Endometriosis via Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Angiogenic Pathways Feb 2019 FREE PDF
• The Use of Resveratrol as an Adjuvant Treatment of Pain in Endometriosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial April 2017 doi: 10.1210/js.2017-00053 FREE PDF
• Resveratrol and endometriosis: In vitro and animal studies and underlying mechanisms (Review) June 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.04.078

Quercetin in VitaminDWiki

• A Supplement to Slow Endo? Quercitin Shows Promise March 2018
  • 4 weeks, 21 of the 22 patients reported at least some improvement over the trial, with no negative side effects reported.
• Quercetin inhibits proliferation of endometriosis regulating cyclin D1 and its target microRNAs in vitro and in vivo doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2018.09.024 Jan 2019

Curcumin in VitaminDWiki

• Turmeric (Curcumin): The Golden Spice in the fight against Endometriosis Feb 2018, 15 references
• Curcumin and endometriosis: Review on potential roles and molecular mechanisms doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.10.119 Jan 2018
• Curcumin inhibits endometriosis endometrial cells by reducing estradiol production - May 2013 FREE PDF

Zinc in VitaminDWiki

• The possible role of zinc in the etiopathogenesis of endometriosis - 2014 PMID: 25864256 -Endo associated with low Zinc
• Decreased zinc and increased lead blood levels are associated with endometriosis in Asian Women Dec 2017 doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.09.001.

Magnesium in VitaminDWiki

• Endometriosis Part 1: Nutrient deficiencies
  • " during menstruation women can lose up to half their magnesium supply."
• 4 Ways to Use Magnesium for Endometriosis Aug 2018
• Supplements for Endometriosis - Magnesium
• 13 Endometriosis Symptoms My Doctors Missed Magnesium etc.
  • " magnesium deficiency and estrogen dominance go hand in hand, making my low magnesium yet another sign of my underlying endometriosis. Estrogen eats up magnesium, depleting it from the body"
  • "Endometriosis grows in different places in different women. In can attach to the ovaries, the outside of the uterus, the pelvic wall, the appendix, the lungs, the brain, etc. "

Omega-3 in VitaminDWiki

• Efficacies of vitamin D and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on experimental endometriosis - Dec 2016 10.1016/j.tjog.2015.06.018 FREE PDF

Ginger - many examples on the web, example

• Endometriosis? 4 Herbs & Supplements That Can Really Help March 2018
  • "Ginger root powder ... 500 mg 2-4 times/day has been shown to reduce pain equal to the effects of ibuprofen"
• VitaminDWiki: Dysmenorrhea substantially reduced by Ginger, just 1,000 IU Vitamin D also helped – RCT Nov 2019
  • Secondary Dysmenorrhea is ude to Endometriosis

Better than daily in VitaminDWiki

• Suspect that non-daily dosing of Vitamin D will be great for Endometriosis, as it is for scores of other health problems.
• A high concentration gradient appears to get over the Vitamin D Receptor barrier

Progesterone in VitaminDWiki

• Progesterone Enhances Calcitriol Antitumor Activity by Upregulating Vitamin D Receptor Expression and Promoting Apoptosis in Endometrial Cancer Cells DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0493 July 2013

---

Charts from Endostats.com Nov 2019

---

Additional Endometriosis Fall 2019

Patent application - The Use of Vitamin D to Treat Endometriosis - 2016
Note: A Patent is a good hint that something helps with a health problem.
Example: Vitamin D was patented to increase conception in all mammals (which it does)
    Download the Patent PDF from VitaminDWiki
Notes
Some association of endo with the use of sunscreen
Wonder if women who have high Vitamin D and/or Omega-3 are less likely to get endometriosis?

---

Diseases treated by High Dose Vitamin D + Magnesium + Omega-3 etc (Coimbra Protocol)

Web 2017?
Multiple Sclerosis (all types of MS), Arthritis Rheumatoid, Lupus, Lyme, Alopecia, Bronchitis, Depression, Crohn’s Disease, Endometriosis, Fibromyalgia, Hypertension, Infertility, Psoriasis, Ménière Syndromes, ADEM Syndromes, Sjögren, Vitiligo, Hashimoto and many others

---

Related: Fibroids Fall 2019

• Fibroids Information extensive

• Vitamin D and Uterine Fibroids—Review of the Literature and Novel Concepts - July 2018, 10.3390/ijms19072051 FREE PDF
• Vitamin D deficiency in women with uterine fibroids versus Vitamin D deficiency in the general population - Nov 2018 DOI: 10.15761/COGRM.1000236 FREE PDF
• Evaluation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels in patients with a fibroid uterus - Oct 2019 https://doi.org/10.1080/01443615.2019.1654986
  • cases = 15 ng   controls = 26 ng; Uterine fibroid size increased proportionately with decrease in 25-hydroxyvitaminD3 levels
• Natural Antioxidant Resveratrol Suppresses Uterine Fibroid Cell Growth and Extracellular Matrix Formation In Vitro and In Vivo - April 2019 doi: 10.3390/antiox8040099 FREE PDF
  • "Benign uterine fibroids (UF), also known as myomas or leiomyomas, are the most common neoplasm of the uterus and occur in up to 77% of women by the onset of menopause in the United States " web
  • (10 mg·of Resveratrol per kilogram (bodyweight or food weight?) for PREVENTION in mice and human tissue
• 
• 
• "Uterine fibroids are a common gynecologic condition among women and the primary reason for hysterectomy for US women. Over their lifetime, about 80 percent of black women and 70 percent of white women will develop fibroids. ... The rate of hospitalization for fibroids is three times higher for black women than white women
• Examining the Relationship Between Symptomatic Burden and Self-reported Productivity Losses Among Patients With Uterine Fibroids in the United States
  • Oct 2017 DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001105
  • "4.4 hours due to employment-related presenteeism" online survey of US women between 18 and 54
• " In 33% of all hysterectomies, the reason for surgery is problems related to fibroid tumors"
• Patient-reported prevalence and symptomatic burden of uterine fibroids among women in the United States: findings from a cross-sectional survey analysis - June 2017 FREE PDF
• 

*Why Fibroids Are Everyone’s Problem April 2015

---

Endometriosis is associated with low vitamin D – 67 year literature review – Oct 2013

Vitamin D in endometriosis: A causative or confounding factor?
Metabolism, October 2013
Lamia Sayegh a, Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan b, Anwar H. Nassara, an21 at aub.edu.lb
a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
b Department of Internal Medicine, Calcium Metabolism and Osteoporosis Program, WHO Collaborating Center for Metabolic Bone Disorders, Division of Endocrinology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

Objective: The aim of this paper is to review the evidence from studies that evaluated the relationship between vitamin D and endometriosis.

Design: Comprehensive review.

Materials and Methods” Systematic literature search in Medline for relevant publications from 1946 until June 2013.

Results: Endometriosis risk may be influenced by dietary vitamin D intake and plasma hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Vitamin D receptor and vitamin D metabolizing enzymes, 24-hydroxylase and 1-α hydroxylase, are found in the normal cycling endometrium and also in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. The endometrium is a target of 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D actions through regulation of specific genes and via immunomodulation. The endometrium in endometriosis expresses dysregulation of some vitamin D enzymes and receptors. If vitamin D and its metabolites are implicated in endometriosis-associated infertility, it is likely through interference with HOXA10 gene expression. The Gc2 phenotype of vitamin D binding protein is prevalent in women with endometriosis and may be implicated in its pathogenesis. In a mouse model, Elocalcitol, a VDR-agonist was shown to reduce the development of endometriotic lesions and recurrence.

Conclusion: A biological plausibility for a role of vitamin D, as an immunomodulator and anti-inflammatory agent, in the pathogenesis and treatment of endometriosis is suggested in this article, but is difficult to illustrate due to sparse evidence from human studies limited primarily to case–control studies. A significant knowledge gap precludes the establishment of a clear cause–effect relationship. The intriguing leads presented herein need to be investigated further with placebo-controlled supplementation trials.

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

Correlation found between the size of ovarian endometriomas and Vitamin D - Nov 2016

Ovarian endometriosis and vitamin D serum levels.
Gynecol Endocrinol. 2016 Nov 4:1-4. [Epub ahead of print]
Ciavattini A1, Serri M1, Delli Carpini G1, Morini S1, Clemente N1.

AIM:
The aim of this study was to assess the vitamin D serum level in women with ovarian endometriosis; specifically, a possible correlation between the dimensions of ovarian endometriomas and vitamin D serum levels was evaluated.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This was an observational study of childbearing-age women diagnosed with singleton ovarian endometrioma from January 2015 to December 2015. Women diagnosed with multiple ovarian endometriomas or extraovarian endometriosis were excluded.
RESULTS:
Forty-nine women constituted the initial study cohort. In these women, the mean (±SD) 25-OH-D3 serum level was 22.0 (±8.9) ng/ml, and 42 of them (85.7%) were diagnosed with hypovitaminosis D. In the "hypovitaminosis D women", the mean (± SD) diameter of ovarian endometriomas was 40.2 ± 22.6 mm, while in the "normal vitamin D serum level women" it was 26.7 ± 12.1 mm (p = 0.1). However, a significant linear correlation between 25-OH-D3 serum level and the diameter of ovarian endometriomas was found (r = -0.3, p = 0.03).
CONCLUSION:
We found a relatively high rate of women with ovrian endometriosis and hypovitaminosis D. Interestingly, a significant linear correlation between 25-OH-D3 serum levels and the diameter of ovarian endometrioma emerged.

PMID: 27809683 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2016.1239254 Publisher wants $54 to rent the PDF

---

Endometriosis in rats reduced by a huge dose of Omega-3 - Dec 2016

Efficacies of vitamin D and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on experimental endometriosis
Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 55, Issue 6, December 2016, Pages 835–839, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tjog.2015.06.018
Alpaslan Akyola, Memet Şimşeka, Raşit İlhana, Behzat Cana, Melike Baspinara, Hadice Akyolb, H. Fatih Gülc, Ferit Gürsuc, Burçin Kavaka, Mustafa Akınd

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 (vitamin D) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA) on experimentally induced endometriosis in a rat model.

Materials and Methods: A prospective, single-blind, randomized, controlled experimental study was performed on 30 Wistar female rats. Endometriosis was surgically induced by implanting endometrial tissue on the abdominal peritoneum. Four weeks later, a second laparotomy was performed to assess pre-treatment implant volumes and cytokine levels. The rats were randomized into three groups: vitamin D group (42 μg/kg/day), omega-3 PUFA group (450 mg/kg/day), and control group (saline 0.1 mL/rat/day). These treatments were administered for 4 weeks. At the end of treatment, a third laparotomy was performed for the assessment of cytokine levels, implant volumes (post-treatment) and implants were totally excised for histopathologic examination. Pre- and post-treatment volumes, cytokine levels within the groups, as well as stromal and glandular tissues between the groups were compared.

Results: The mean post-treatment volume was statistically significantly reduced in the omega-3 PUFA group (p = 0.02) and the level of the interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the peritoneal fluid were significantly decreased at the end of treatment in the omega-3 PUFA group (p = 0.02, p = 0.03, and p = 0.03, respectively). In the vitamin D group, only IL-6 levels were significantly decreased. In the histopathologic examination, the glandular tissue and stromal tissue scores of the implants were significant lower in the omega-3 PUFA group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02).

Conclusion: Omega-3 PUFA caused significant regression of endometriotic implants. Vitamin D has not been as effective as omega-3 PUFA on endometriosis.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

8+ VitaminDWiki pages with ENDOMETRIOSIS in the title

This list is automatically updated

---

See also VitaminDWiki

• Menstrual Pain (PMS) reduced by vitamin D – RCT 2012, 2014, 2016
• Overview Women and Vitamin D
• All items in category Women and vitamin D 196 items
• Inflammation category listing has 175 items along with related searches
• Overview: Omega-3 many benefits include helping vitamin D Omega-3 appears to reduce Inflammation/Endometriosis
• Overview Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue and vitamin D - perhaps some similarity with Endo.
• Vitamin D and fertility: a systematic review – May 2012 has the following chart
  

Women category in VitaminDWiki starts with the following

• Vitamin D is indispensable for the health of women - editorial June 2022
• ALL of the top 10 health problems of women are associated with low vitamin D
  • Anxiety - Depression   Type 2 Diabetes   Dementia   Ischaemic Heart   Stroke   Breast Cancer   Lung Cancer   COPD   Asthma   Osteoarthritis
• Overview Women and Vitamin D
• Pregnancy category listing has 922 items along with related searches
  • Vitamin D is needed before, during and after Pregnancy – May 2022
  • Pretern Birth - 95 items as of Dec 2022
• Cancer - Breast category listing has 259 items along with related searches
  • Breast Cancer again associated with low vitamin D – 15th meta-analysis Sept 2020
• Fertility and sperm category listing has 142 items along with related searches
• Cancer - Ovarian category listing has 26 items along with related searches
• Calcium and Vitamin D category listing has 227 items along with related searches
  • Excessive Calcium supplementation is very bad for the body, and not needed by your bones
• Search for HRT OR "hormone replacement therapy" 301 items as of Jan 2019
• Poor menstrual cycles 2X more likely if poor vitamin D levels - many studies
• Fertility problem (PCOS) reduced by vitamin D, etc: many studies
• Yeast Infection and Vitamin D - many studies
• Bacterial vaginosis reduced 10 times by 2,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT June 2015
• Recurrent urinary tract infection 4X more likely if low vitamin D – Aug 2013
• Endometriosis treated, and perhaps prevented, by vitamin D - many studies
• Infant-Child category listing has 854 items along with related searches

---

See also web

Wikipedia - 2019

• Endometriosis symptoms include pelvic inflammatory disease, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and fibromyalgia
• Tentative evidence suggests that the use of combined oral contraceptives reduces the risk of endometriosis.
  • Note by VitaminDWiki - oral contraceptives are one of the few things which INCREASE Vitamin D levels
• Endometriosis was documented in medical texts more than 4,000 years ago

Vitamin D: how can it help manage my Endometriosis June 2018
Many of the Endometriosis follow-on problems are associated with low vitamin D

Endometriosis has been increasing with time (along with decrease in Vitamin D and Omega-3)

Behind a paywall

Endo is treated by Oral Contraceptives (which usually increases vitamin D levels)

---

See also PubMed - 2014-2015

• Vitamin D and benign gynecological diseases: a critical analysis of the current evidence. Nov 2015 - behind a $52 paywall
• Potential impact of maternal vitamin D status on obstetric well-being June 2015
  • "Human and animal data suggest that low VD status is associated with impaired fertility, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome."
• Vitamin D intake and endometriosis: the good and the bad June 2014
• Vitamin D in endometriosis: A causative or confounding factor? Jan 2014
• Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Endometriosis Sept 2015 205 women undergoing in vitro fertilization
  • "Women with high serum EPA levels were 82% less likely to have endometriosis compared to women with low EPA levels (odds ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.78)"
• Endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea and diet July 2013
  • "One large study (n=70,709) found a relatively strong association between endometriosis and trans-fatty acid consumption, and a lower risk of endometriosis with increased consumption of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids."
• Effects of Vitamin D on Endometriosis-Related Pain: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial Dec 2016
  • 50,000 IU weekly for 12 weeks. Endometriosis-Related Pain reduction was not statistically significant
  • Most Iranian women have very low levels of vitamin D.
  • It is doubtful that their vitamin D levels got above 40 nanograms - study provided no data
  •  Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

Endometriosis ==> other diseases (cormorbidity) - 2015

Endometriosis and co-morbidities
BY MARINA KVASKOFF PHD
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Cited by 152 studies as of Dec 2019

• Epidemiology of endometriosis and its comorbidities - Feb 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.04.021
  • Many of the risk factors are also associated with low Vitamin D
  • early age at menarche,. pigmentary traits, sun habits, alcohol intake
• High prevalence of autoimmune diseases in women with endometriosis: a case-control study - Aug 2019 https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2019.1655727
  • CD: 15 with Endo, 1 otherwise; autoimmune thyroiditis: 80 endo, 14 otherwise

- - - - - - - - - - - -
In a recent comprehensive review we suggest that endometriosis may be associated with a higher risk of several chronic diseases.

While the underlying mechanisms of endometriosis are not yet understood, the available data to date suggest that endometriosis may have important long-term health consequences, which – if confirmed in future well-conducted studies – will have important implications in the management and care of women with endometriosis.

Over recent decades, endometriosis has been associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma or allergic manifestations, and cardiovascular diseases.

Because the underlying mechanisms for these relations are not known, a deeper understanding is needed as it may lead to novel discoveries on the causes or consequences of endometriosis.

Our research group, led by Dr Stacey Missmer at Harvard University, examined the existing scientific literature to summarise the current evidence on chronic disease risk in women with endometriosis [1].

We also explored the potential explanations for these associations and formulated methodological recommendations for future studies.

Endometriosis and the risk of cancer
While endometriosis has a benign nature, some evidence suggests a potential association between endometriosis and the risk of some cancers. The disease has even been suggested to share some characteristics with malignant tumours, such as invasion of local and distant organs, abnormal tissue growth, dysfunction of target organs, and genetic damage [2].

This review suggests that women with endometriosis are generally at higher risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and skin melanoma, but that they are at decreased risk of cervical cancer.

NOTE: In reviewing available evidence both the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Guidelines [3] and the World Endometriosis Society Montpellier Consortium Consensus [4] do not call for routine screening of women with endometriosis for cancer.

All women should be vigilant of any changes in their bodies, and should seek medical help if they have suggestive symptoms.

Ovarian cancer The association with ovarian cancer was the most consistent across studies: out of the 21 studies reviewed, 20 reported an association [5-24]. The available data suggest that the relation is restricted to the endometrioid and clear-cell subtypes of ovarian cancer [20, 22] – rare types of ovarian cancer. It must be emphasised that the overall risk is low.

Breast cancer Among other gynaecological cancers, 14 studies were reviewed on endometriosis and breast cancer: while six of them reported a modest increase in breast cancer risk in women with endometriosis [7, 8, 15, 16, 25, 26], four others reported no association [24, 27-29], and four even reported a decreased breast cancer risk associated with endometriosis [10, 13, 30, 31]. Overall this is inconclusive, based on current evidence.

Endometrial and cervical cancer Results for endometrial cancer were conflicting; however, it is important to note the low numbers of cases in the eight studies reviewed [7, 8, 10, 15, 16, 24, 32]. Despite even lower numbers for cervical cancer, however, the four studies that evaluated this association all reported a decreased risk in women with endometriosis [7, 8, 15, 16]. It is possible that this is due to women with endometriosis being vigilant about regular examinations by their gynaecologist.

Melanoma skin cancer Among non-gynaecological cancers, melanoma skin cancer has been the most studied in relation to a history of endometriosis. Out of the 12 studies that explored this topic, seven suggested a positive association [10, 13, 15, 16, 33-35], while five studies reported no clear relation between endometriosis and melanoma risk [8, 28, 36-38], so the evidence is mostly inconclusive.

Other cancers Explorations of associations with other cancers have been sparse; consequently, no firm conclusions can be drawn to date as to the subsequent risk of other malignant tumours in women with endometriosis.

Endometriosis and autoimmune diseases
An autoimmune disease is a disorder that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and damages its own tissue. This type of condition may affect one or more organs or tissue types, and it has been shown to more frequently affect women than men [39].

While endometriosis is not itself an autoimmune disease, our review found nine studies that suggest that women with endometriosis may be at higher risk of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus [40, 41], Sjögren’s syndrome [40, 41], multiple sclerosis [40, 41], rheumatoid arthritis [40], inflammatory bowel diseases (such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) [42], and coeliac disease [43].

Endometriosis and asthma and allergic manifestations
Based on the review of six studies on the topic [40, 44-48], the available evidence suggests that women with endometriosis may be more susceptible to allergic manifestations (eg. eczema, hay fever, food sensitivities, allergies to medication) and to allergy-related conditions such as asthma.

Endometriosis and cardiovascular diseases Among the four studies that investigated a possible relation between endometriosis and cardiovascular diseases, two reported significantly lower flow-mediation dilation (ie. lower ability of the artery to dilate in response to a shear stress) in women with endometriosis as compared with controls [49, 50], while another study found no evidence of a significant difference in carotid intima-media thickness (ie. the thickness of the innermost two layers of the carotid artery’s wall) [51].

However, the only large-scale epidemiological study on the topic, conducted in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort, showed increased risks of myocardial infarction, angina, and surgical treatment of the coronary artery in women with endometriosis [52].

Potential explanations for these associations
While the exact mechanisms underlying these associations are unknown, the co-occurrence of endometriosis and other disease outcomes may reflect at least four potential explanations:

1. Previous studies may have reported spurious associations due to methodological bias. First, the exploration of the subsequent risk of chronic diseases in women with endometriosis carries a number of methodological complexities, which, if not tackled appropriately, may lead to biased conclusions.
   For instance, the difficulty to characterise endometriosis and some chronic diseases (e.g. autoimmune diseases) accurately in large-scale population-based studies, or recall bias from women in studies relying on self-reported diagnosis, could lead to systematic errors in the definition of the disease status of study subjects, which in turn may alter the results in an unpredictable direction.
2. Endometriosis may induce physiological changes that increase the risk of some chronic diseases However, it is possible that some consequences of endometriosis (such as infertility, chronic inflammation, aberrant hormonal and immunologic responses, or lifestyle changes associated with disease diagnosis) influence the long-term risk of other diseases.
   For example, chronic inflammation in the pelvic cavity may influence a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer. However, deeper research is needed in order to investigate the physiological pathways that may link endometriosis consequences to chronic disease risk.
3. Endometriosis may share common risk factors with some chronic diseases. Another possibility is that endometriosis and the studied chronic diseases share common risk factors, whether they are already known or not. All or part of the observed associations could thus simply reflect a correlation of factors.
   In this case, this research may allow the discovery of novel risk factors for endometriosis and/or the studied chronic disease. For example, the investigation of an association between endometriosis and melanoma skin cancer helped to discover a novel risk profile for women with endometriosis, who were shown to be more likely to have moles [36, 53-56] and/or a sun-sensitive pigmentary profile (i.e. poor tanning ability [54-56], red hair [34, 57, 58], fair eyes [56, 59], or freckling [55, 56]) than women without endometriosis.
4. Treatment for endometriosis could be associated with some chronic diseases. Finally, it is also possible that these associations reflect an underlying relation between treatment(s) for endometriosis and the risk of these chronic diseases.
   However, little of the research reviewed accounted for this possibility in the analyses.

Endometriosis and potential co-morbidities
In conclusion, the available data to date suggest that women with endometriosis may represent a high-risk group for a number of chronic diseases.

However, given the methodological complexities associated with this research and a general lack of detailed data on endometriosis in previous studies, further research is needed in order to increase our understanding of this disease, for which the causes are largely unknown to date.

If relationships between endometriosis and chronic diseases are confirmed, these findings will have important implications in the management and care of women with endometriosis.

References

1. KvaskoffM, et al. Endometriosis: a high-risk population for major chronic diseases? Hum Reprod Update 2015;21(4):500-516.
   •  Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
2. Garry R. Endometriosis: an invasive disease. Gynecological Endoscopy 2001;10:79-82.
3. Dunselman GA, et al. ESHRE guideline: management of women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2014;29(3):400-12.
4. Johnson NP, et al. Consensus on current management of endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2013;28(6):1552-68.
5. Aris A. Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer: A ten-year cohort study of women living in the Estrie Region of Quebec, Canada. J Ovarian Res 2010;3:2.
6. Bodmer M, et al. Use of metformin and the risk of ovarian cancer: a case-control analysis. Gynecol Oncol 2011;123(2):200-4.
7. Borgfeldt C and Andolf E. Cancer risk after hospital discharge diagnosis of benign ovarian cysts and endometriosis. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2004;83(4):395-400.
8. Brinton L.A, et al. Cancer risk after a hospital discharge diagnosis of endometriosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997;176(3):572-9.
9. Brinton LA, et al. Ovarian cancer risk associated with varying causes of infertility. Fertil Steril 2004;82(2):405-14.
10. Brinton LA, et al. Causes of infertility as predictors of subsequent cancer risk. Epidemiology 2005;16(4):500-7.
11. Buis CC, et al. Increased risk for ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumours in subfertile women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2013;28(12):3358-69
12. Cottreau CM, et al. Endometriosis and its treatment with Danazol or Lupron in relation to ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2003;9(14):5142-4.
13. Gemmill JA, et al. Cancers, infections, and endocrine diseases in women with endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2010;94(5):1627-31.
14. Kobayashi H, et al. Risk of developing ovarian cancer among women with ovarian endometrioma: a cohort study in Shizuoka, Japan. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2007;17(1):37-43.
15. Melin A, et al. The risk of cancer and the role of parity among women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod, 2007;22(11):3021-6.
16. Melin A, et al. Endometriosis and the risk of cancer with special emphasis on ovarian cancer. Hum Reprod 2006;21(5):1237-42.
17. Merritt MA, et al. Talcum powder, chronic pelvic inflammation and NSAIDs in relation to risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 2008;122(1):170-6.
18. Modugno F, et al. Oral contraceptive use, reproductive history, and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in women with and without endometriosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;191(3):733-40.
19. Nagle CM, et al. Endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancers: a comparative analysis of risk factors. Eur J Cancer 2008;44(16):2477-84.
20. Ness RB, et al. Infertility, fertility drugs, and ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of case-control studies. Am J Epidemiol 2002;155(3):217-24.
21. Ness RB, et al. Factors related to inflammation of the ovarian epithelium and risk of ovarian cancer. Epidemiol 2000;11(2):111-7.
22. Pearce CL, et al. Association between endometriosis and risk of histological subtypes of ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of case-control studies. Lancet Oncol 2012;13(4):385-94.
23. Rossing MA, et al. Risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in relation to benign ovarian conditions and ovarian surgery. Cancer Causes Control 2008;19(10):1357-64.
24. Venn A, et al. Risk of cancer after use of fertility drugs with in-vitro fertilisation. Lancet 1999;354(9190):1586-90.
25. Moseson M, et al. The influence of medical conditions associated with hormones on the risk of breast cancer. Int J Epidemiol 1993;22(6):1000-9.
26. Schairer C, et al. Breast cancer risk associated with gynecologic surgery and indications for such surgery. Int J Cancer 1997;70(2):150-4.
27. Bertelsen L, et al. Risk for breast cancer among women with endometriosis. Int J Cancer 2007;120(6):1372-5.
28. Olson JE, et al. Postmenopausal cancer risk after self-reported endometriosis diagnosis in the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Cancer 2002;94(5):1612-8.
29. Weiss HA, et al. Breast cancer risk in young women and history of selected medical conditions. Int J Epidemiol 1999;28(5):816-23.
30. Baron JA, et al. Metabolic disorders and breast cancer risk (United States).Cancer Causes Control 2001;2(10):875-80.
31. Matta JL, et al. Women with endometriosis have a higher DNA repair capacity and diminished breast cancer risk. Mol Cancer Biol 2013;1(1).
32. Zucchetto A, et al. Hormone-related factors and gynecological conditions in relation to endometrial cancer risk. Eur J Cancer Prev 2009;18(4):316-21.
33. KvaskoffM, et al. Personal history of endometriosis and risk of cutaneous melanoma in a large prospective cohort of French women. Arch Intern Med 2007;167(19):2061-5.
34. Wyshak G and Frisch RE. Red hair color, melanoma, and endometriosis: suggestive associations. Int J Dermatol 2000;39(10):798.
35. Wyshak G, et al. Reproductive factors and melanoma of the skin among women. Int J Dermatol 1989;28(8):527-30.
36. Frisch RE, et al. Dysplastic nevi, cutaneous melanoma, and gynecologic disorders. Int J Dermatol 1992;31(5):331-5.
37. Holly EA, et al. Cutaneous melanoma in women. III. Reproductive factors and oral contraceptive use. Am J Epidemiol 1995;141(10):943-50.
38. Young P, et al. A study of infertility treatment and melanoma. Melanoma Res 2001;11(5):535-41.
39. Tiniakou E, et al. Sex-specific environmental influences on the development of autoimmune diseases. Clin Immunol 2013;149(2):182-91.
40. Sinaii N, et al., High rates of autoimmune and endocrine disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and atopic diseases among women with endometriosis: a survey analysis. Hum Reprod 2002;17(10):2715-24.
41. Nielsen NM, et al. The co-occurrence of endometriosis with multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren syndrome. Hum Reprod, 2011;26(6):1555-9.
42. Jess T, et al, Increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease in women with endometriosis: a nationwide Danish cohort study. Gut 2012;61(9):1279-83.
43. Aguiar FM, et al. Serological testing for celiac disease in women with endometriosis. A pilot study. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 2009;36(1):23-5.
44. Lamb K and Nichols TR. Endometriosis: a comparison of associated disease histories. Am J Prev Med 1986;2(6):324-9.
45. Nichols TR, et al. The association of atopic diseases with endometriosis. Ann Allergy 1987;59(5):360-3.
46. Ferrero S, et al. Asthma in women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2005;20(12):3514-7.
47. Matalliotakis I, et al. High rate of allergies among women with endometriosis. J Obstet Gynecol 2012;32(3):291-3.
48. Ammendola M, et al. Acid phosphatase locus 1 genetic polymorphism, endometriosis, and allergy. Fertil Steril 2008;90(4):1203-5.
49. Kinugasa S, et al. Increased asymmetric dimethylarginine and enhanced inflammation are associated with impaired vascular reactivity in women with endometriosis. Atherosclerosis 2011;219(2):784-8.
50. Santoro L, et al. Endothelial dysfunction but not increased carotid intima-media thickness in young European women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2012;27(5):1320-6.
51. Pretta S, et al. Atherosclerosis in women with endometriosis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2007;132(2):226-31.
52. Mu F, et al. Endometriosis and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 2016.
53. Hornstein MD, et al. Association between endometriosis, dysplastic naevi and history of melanoma in women of reproductive age. Hum Reprod 1997;12(1):143-5.
54. KvaskoffM, et al. Pigmentary traits, family history of melanoma and the risk of endometriosis: a cohort study of US women. Int J Epidemiol 2014;43(1):255-63.
55. KvaskoffM, et al. Endometriosis risk in relation to naevi, freckles and skin sensitivity to sun exposure: the French E3N cohort. Int J Epidemiol 2009;38(4):1143-53.
56. Somigliana E, et al. Here comes the sun: pigmentary traits and sun habits in women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2010;25(3):728-33.
57. Missmer SA, et al. Natural hair color and the incidence of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2006;85(4):866-70.
58. Woodworth SH, et al. A prospective study on the association between red hair color and endometriosis in infertile patients. Fertil Steril 1995;64(3):651-2.
59. Vercellini P, et al. Behind blue eyes’dagger: the association between eye colour and deep infiltrating endometriosis. Hum Reprod 2014;29(10):2171-5.

---

Some types of Endometriosis are helped by Vitamin D – review Dec 2019

Association between vitamin D and endometriosis: a systematic review Hormones (2019)
Dimitrios Rafail Kalaitzopoulos, Ioannis G. Lempesis, Florentia Athanasaki, Dimitrios Schizas, Eleftherios Pierre Samartzis, Efstratios M. Kolibianakis & Dimitrios G. Goulis

 Download the PDF from sc-hub via VitaminDWiki

Background
Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases of reproductive age, with a prevalence of 5–10% and grave consequences for quality of life and fertility. Vitamin D (vit D), a classic regulator of plasma calcium concentration and skeleton mineralization, is also an effective modulator of the immune system. Several studies suggest that immunologic properties attributed to vit D along with vit D receptor (VDR) expression in reproductive tissues may be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Objective: To systematically review the literature for the association between components of vit D metabolism and endometriosis.

Materials and methods
A systematic review of the literature published in the Medline and Cochrane Central databases was conducted for original research articles on humans, published in any language.

Results
Twenty-one studies were included in the systematic review. Among them,

• 12 examined the relationship of endometriosis with vit D metabolites,
• eight with vit D–binding protein (VDBP),
• three with VDR polymorphisms, and
• two with vit D regulatory enzymes.

There are discrepancies between the outcomes of the available literature publications.

Conclusions
This is a systematic attempt to collect, evaluate, and present the known data on the association between vit D and endometriosis. Given the heterogeneity and the diversity of the present studies, more research is required to elucidate the association between vit D and endometriosis.

---

A Debilitating Illness, Often Ignored (1 in 10 get Endometriosis) - July 2022

New York Times nothing about Vitamin D

---

Vitamin D Receptor and Autoimmune: 19 items in both categories:

---

My wife wishes she had known about Endometriosis + Vitamin D + VDR 3 decades ago

Had low vitamin D and poor Vitamin D Receptor
She got Endometriosis
Which resulted in hystorectomy
Which resulted in progestore treatment
Which resulted in Breast Cancer and surgery
Which resulted in lymphedema
Which we managed for control with LLLT

• After taking lots of vitamin D + VDR activators she is much healthier than in past 40 uyears

short url = http://is.gd/endovitd

There have been 286386 visits to this page