The effects of postmenopausal Vitamin D treatment on vaginal atrophy

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Vitamin D for relieving vaginal atrophy. Methods: In our cross-sectional study, 60 eligible women were consecutively identified among patients who were followed in physical medicine and rehabilitation's outpatient clinic, during the period March June 2001. The sample consisted of 30 postmenopausal women on 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D (calcitriol) treatment, 30 postmenopausal women taking neither hormone replacement nor osteoporosis treatment. Vaginal atrophy was determined by symptoms, physical examination and maturation index (MI). Results: The mean physical findings score in Vitamin D treatment (VDT) group was significantly lower than the mean physical findings score in the group without treatment. Symptom scores were lower in both groups and there was not significantly difference between two groups. As maturation indices: in VDT group, superficial cells proportion was significantly higher and basal, parabasal cells proportion was lower than in the group without treatment. Conclusion: The results of current study seem to indicate that vaginal tissue may be a new target organ for therapeutically applied Vitamin D analogues. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.