The Biological Effects of Vitamin D on the Development of Uterine Fibroids: A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56570/jimgs.v2i2.118Keywords:
Uterine fibroids, vitamin D, biological effects, leiomyoma, fibroid tumors, molecular vitamin DAbstract
Uterine Fibroids (UFs), also known as uterine leiomyomas or myomas, are benign tumors derived from smooth muscle tissue. Vitamin D deficiency is one of the many factors involved in the development and growth of UFs. Many studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation decreases the size of fibroids despite a poorly understood pathogenesis. The activity of vitamin D against UF cells has mainly been supported by various in vitro and in vivo studies. For this review, we conducted in-depth research of published literature on vitamin D's biological and pathophysiological effects on UFs. We searched on Google Scholar and PubMed using common keywords and selected 23 studies from the search results. The literature chosen from the past ten years was read and analyzed thoroughly. However, because of the limited research on the effects of vitamin D on UFs and the different inclusion criteria, the clinical efficacy of vitamin D on women with UFs remains unclear. More extensive, well-organized studies on the specific effects of vitamin D on the growth of UFs would prove efficacious in establishing treatments.References
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