Vitamin D Deficiency and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Women.

OBJECTIVE: The association of vitamin D deficiency and pelvic floor dysfunction has been examined by numerous studies. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with bladder filling and voiding functions are common in both sexes. A recent study reports a higher incidence of LTUS in men over 50 years old with vitamin D deficiency. The aim of the study is to investigate whether there is a difference in the Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms frequency between women with vitamin D deficiency and the control group or not.

STUDY DESIGN: In this case control study, a total of 150 women who had a measured vitamin D level within a month were divided into two groups, one with a serum vitamin D deficiency and the other with a normal vitamin D level. Both groups were evaluated in terms of menopausal status, numbers of pregnancy and delivery, pelvic examination findings, pelvic floor muscle strength, level of pelvic organ prolapse, LUTS scores, and the findings were recorded. Both groups were compared for the presence of lower urinary system symptoms. The BFLUTS validated for Turkish-speaking populations was used to assess lower urinary system symptoms. Statistical analyses were performed via IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0. The results were considered significant at p < 0.05 and a confidence interval of 95%.

RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency was detected in 67.3% of the participants. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding variables that could affect lower urinary system symptoms such as menopausal status, presence of pelvic organ prolapse and neonatal weight (fetal macrosomia) The Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength was significantly lower in the group with vitamin D deficiency than the control group. BFLUTS scores of premenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency were found to be similar to the control group, likewise no significant differences in the BFLUTS scores were detected in postmenopausal women.

CONCLUSION: Although vitamin D deficiency causes a significant reduction in pelvic floor muscle strength, no significant correlation was found between lower urinary tract symptoms and vitamin D deficiency. There is a necessity of prospective randomized controlled trials to investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and pelvic floor functions.