By helping in bone development, strengthening of the immune system, aiding in weight loss, decreasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes, vitamin D has always been recognized by medical experts as a vital component in health maintenance. Vitamin D may also play a significant role in decreasing the risk of developing pelvic disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) as reported by a recent study.
Women suffering from pelvic disorders were found to have low levels of vitamin D, according to a study conducted by researchers from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York which was released in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. This connection was made after evaluating data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving 1,881 non-pregnant women over the age of 20 years.
Eighty-two percent of the participants were found to have vitamin D levels that were deemed deficient which in this case would be lower than 30 nanograms per milliliter. Of this number, 23 percent were reportedly suffering from one or more pelvic floor disorders and these women had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to the others in the group.
Those with higher levels of vitamin D had lower risks of pelvic floor disorders, according to researchers of the study. It was determined that the risk in older women, who were supposed to be strong candidates for these pelvic floor disorders, was 45 percent lower if vitamin D levels were within normal range.
Produced in the body as a result of exposure to sunlight or found in certain products or supplements, vitamin D is actually a group of fat-soluble prohormones that encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D is therefore very important in strengthening the bones and muscles including the pelvic floor muscles which may lead to incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders if these muscles become weak due to deficiency of this vitamin.
The results of the study may suggest that addressing the deficiency of vitamin D may be beneficial to women who are at risk of developing pelvic floor disorders. Researchers, however, believe that further studies may be needed to validate these findings and to evaluate the role of vitamin D in the development of pelvic floor disorders. This becomes very critical in light of the rapid increase of these disorders which have already affected millions of people.
If indeed vitamin D may reduce the risks of getting POP or SUI, then this should be very welcome to the thousands of women who may develop these conditions. This may mean being spared the need for surgical procedures such as the vaginal mesh surgery which has been in the limelight recently for the injuries it has caused to thousands of patients. Numerous vaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed across the country as a result of the injuries suffered by women. For more information on this issue, you may refer to vaginalmeshlawsuitscenter.com.
References:
webmd.com
medicalnewstoday.com