The association between vitamin D and health outcomes in women: A review on the related evidence

Background: vitamin d has a wide range of physiological functions in skeletal and nonskeletal tissues which may play a role in many diseases. the aim of this study was to evaluate the recent evidence regarding the effects of vitamin d on several health outcomes in women including breast cancer,ovarian and endometrial cancers,hypertension,and osteoporosis. materials and methods: we searched pubmed and google scholar databases through march 2016. we included the most current systematic reviews and meta-analyses assessing the associations of vitamin d intake and/or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d (25(oh)d) levels with the risk of incidence of breast cancer,ovarian and endometrial cancers,hypertension,and osteoporosis. results: many studies have represented that vitamin d supplementation and high 25(oh)d levels can decrease the risk of breast cancer occurrence or mortality. however,there is no strong evidence to support the existence of a relationship between vitamin d and ovarian or endometrial cancers. furthermore,the results regarding the effects of vitamin d on hypertension were inconsistent. although observational studies have shown an association between vitamin d and hypertension,there is no evidence regarding effectiveness of vitamin d in lowering blood pressure in several clinical trials. on the other hand,the findings associating the impact of vitamin d on osteoporosis were more definitive and most studies have represented that vitamin d may have beneficial effects on osteoporosis. conclusion: although the adequate vitamin d level can play a protective role in the incidence and development of breast cancer,hypertension,and osteoporosis,there is limited evidence regarding ovarian and endometrial cancers. � 2016 journal of research in medical sciences.