58% of women with PCOS have vitamin D deficiency, meta-analysis findsHigh Rates of Vitamin D Deficiency Found in Women with PCOS

This meta-analysis pooled data from 4,773 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The primary outcome was the proportion of women with deficient vitamin D levels. The analysis found that 58% of women with PCOS had vitamin D deficiency, corresponding to 2,745 out of 4,773 women. However, there was substantial heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 97.06%), indicating considerable variability that limits the precision of the pooled estimate. The authors did not report a pooled effect size or confidence interval. Secondary outcomes included factors influencing vitamin D deficiency, but specific results were not detailed. The review did not report on adverse events, funding sources, or conflicts of interest. The authors suggest the findings provide an evidence-based rationale for vitamin D screening and nutritional intervention in PCOS, but the high heterogeneity means the true prevalence may vary widely across populations. Clinicians should consider individual patient risk factors and local prevalence data when interpreting this result.