Vitamin D levels in couples undergoing In vitro Fertilization: Lack of Association with Embryo Quality or Pregnancy Rates
Fertil Steril. 2024 Jul 2:S0015-0282(24)00591-0. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.06.023 PDF behind a paywall
Roberto Azevedo Antunes 1, Maria do Carmo Borges Souza 2, Marcelo Marinho Souza 2, Gabriela Palhano Sifuentes Melo 3, Brenda Maria Loureiro Melo 4, Ana Cristina Allemand Mancebo 2, Flavia Lúcia Conceição 5, Tania Maria Ortiga-Carvalho 6
Objective: To investigate the potential impact of vitamin D serum levels of couples going through in vitro fertilization in terms of embryo quality and pregnancy rates.
Design: Retrospective cohort study SETTING: Fertipraxis, private human reproduction center on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Subjects: 267 couples who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection between January 2017 and March 2019.
Exposure: The couples were categorized into four groups based on 25OH vitamin D levels measured at the beginning of the stimulation protocol: Group 1 with levels ≥ 30 ng/mL for both women and men; Group 2 with levels < 30 ng/mL for both; Group 3 with women < 30 ng/mL and men ≥ 30 ng/mL; and Group 4 with women ≥ 30 ng/mL and men < 30 ng/mL.
Main outcome measures: We consider quantity and quality of embryos during the cleavage and blastocyst stages as primary outcomes. Correspondingly, clinical pregnancy rate was regarded as a secondary outcome.
Results: Our findings revealed no significant correlations between the studied VD groups and the evaluated outcomes. This includes quantity and quality of embryos during the cleavage and blastocyst stages, as well as clinical pregnancy rate. Primary analysis revealed a small but statistically significant difference in the duration of controlled ovarian stimulation between group 1 and group 2 (p=0.035; CI=0.07 - 3.04) and between group 1 and group 3 (p=0.040; CI=0.05 - 3.23).
Conclusion: The present study found no correlation between the studied VD levels and quantity and quality of cleavage or blastocyst stage embryos, nor did it show any impact on clinical pregnancy rates. Further well designed, prospective studies are warranted to determine whether and how vitamin D affects reproductive outcomes.
People paying for IVF tend to have low Vitamin D levels
VitaminDWiki – Vitamin D greatly improves Fertility
- Vitamin D is needed for human fertility – goal is 50 ng – Sept 2018
- In-vitro Fertilization costs at least 10,000 dollars, Vitamin D costs 5 dollars
- Infertile patients 1.7X more-likely to become pregnant if take Vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2023
- Live birth 1.7 X more likely after IVF if good level of vitamin D – meta-analysis Aug 2020
- If diagnosed infertile, more likely to have live birth if Vitamin D fortification – Feb 2020
- Preconception vitamin D is great - every extra 10 ng associated with 10 percent more likely to have live birth – Aug 2018
- Women with more than minimum vitamin D were 3.4 X more likely to achieve pregnancy and 1.6 X more likely to have live births – June 2017
- Assisted Reproduction – 5 studies concluded vitamin D repletion helps – Review March 2015
- Pregnancy success increased 30 percent if sunny (or vitamin D) one month earlier – June 2015
- IVF 4X more successful for white women with lots of vitamin D – many studies
Increased male Vitamin D increases fertility
- Birth rates doubled with Vitamin D - 300,000 for infertile men – RCT Nov 2017
- Higher vitamin D results in 22% fewer abnormal sperm (Mendelian analysis) – May 2024
- Conception was 3.7X more likely if the male had a good level of Vitamin D – July 2022
- Far better sperm in fertility clinic if more than 30 ng of Vitamin D - June 2022
- Fertility (sperm) associated with vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Infertility - 71 percent of the time of BOTH partners had less than 20 ng of Vitamin D – Aug 2017
- Male fertility 4 X higher if high Vitamin D – Nov 2015
- Vitamin D somewhat assists reproduction – both the mother and the father – May 2014
Decreased Fertility if decreased Vitamin D Receptor
- Unexplained infertility 4X more likely if poor vitamin D receptor – Dec 2020
- Male Infertility is associated with poor Vitamin D Receptor – July 2021
40-150 ng of Vitamin D is need to treat health problems
| Vitamin D | Treats |
| 150 ng | Multiple Sclerosis * |
| 80 ng | Cluster Headache * Reduced office visits by 4X * |
| 70 ng | Sleep * |
| 60 ng | Breast Cancer death reduced 60% Preeclampsia RCT |
| 50 ng | COVID-19 Fertility Psoriasis Infections Review Infection after surgery |
| 40 ng | Breast Cancer 65% lower risk Depression ACL recovery Hypertension Asthma? |
| 30 ng | Rickets |
* Evolution of experiments with patients, often also need co-factors