Ana Corachán

Effect of low‐dose vitamin D supplementation on uterine fibroid size in women with hypovitaminosis D: A nonrandomized pilot study

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of low‐dose vitamin D supplementation on uterine fibroid (UF) size in patients with hypovitaminosis D. Methods This was a single‐center observational study including a prospective interventional cohort and a retrospective comparative cohort. The control group ( n  = 16) included retrospective data from patients without vitamin D supplementation who attended two gynecological consultations 6 months apart. The interventional cohort ( n  = 15) prospectively received low‐dose vitamin D supplementation (25 000 IU every 2 weeks for 6 months) and serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels, UF size and vascularization, and patients' symptoms and quality of life were evaluated at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Results In untreated controls, UFs grew significantly in 6 months (67.1 ± 20.2 mm versus 79.4 ± 29.7 mm, P  < 0.001). Vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced UFs from 56.9 ± 14.5 mm at baseline to 53.3 ± 13.3 mm after 3 months ( P  = 0.03) and 52.2 ± 13.6 mm after 6 months ( P  = 0.001). UF vascularity index (5.5 ± 7.5%) and vascularization flow index (2.2 ± 3.4) was significantly lower at month 6 compared with baseline (7.6 ± 9.9% [ P  = 0.01] and 3.3 ± 5.4 [ P  = 0.009], respectively). Conclusion Low‐dose vitamin D supplementation effectively reduced UF size in women with hypovitaminosis D within 6 months, suggesting vitamin D is a promising solution for patients with UFs and hypovitaminosis D. Clinical Trial Registration This study was registered on June 17, 2019, and the date of initial participant enrollment was July 9, 2019. NCT03991078, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03991078 .

Uterine fibroids: current research on novel drug targets and innovative therapeutic strategies

Uterine fibroids, the most common nonmalignant tumors affecting the female genital tract, are a significant medical challenge. This article focuses on the most recent studies that attempted to identify novel non-hormonal therapeutic targets and strategies in UF therapy. This review covers the analysis of the pharmacological and biological mechanisms of the action of natural substances and the role of the microbiome in reference to UFs. This study aimed to determine the potential role of these compounds in UF prevention and therapy. While there are numerous approaches for treating UFs, available drug therapies for disease control have not been optimized yet. This review highlights the biological potential of vitamin D, EGCG and other natural compounds, as well as the microbiome, as promising alternatives in UF management and prevention. Although these substances have been quite well analyzed in this area, we still recommend conducting further studies, particularly randomized ones, in the field of therapy with these compounds or probiotics. Alternatively, as the quality of data continues to improve, we propose the consideration of their integration into clinical practice, in alignment with the patient's preferences and consent.