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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1420004
This article is part of the Research Topic A Lifecourse Perspective on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Bridging Gaps in Research and Practice View all 3 articles

Causal Relationship Between Fertility Nutrients Supplementation and PCOS Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Provisionally accepted
Fang Shao Fang Shao Shijia Xu Shijia Xu Haiyang Zhao Haiyang Zhao Furong Zhang Furong Zhang Xin Wang Xin Wang Hui Wang Hui Wang *
  • Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a prevalent endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, is mainly ameliorated through drugs or lifestyle changes, with limited treatment options. To date, numerous researchers have found that fertility nutrient supplements may benefit female reproductive health, but their direct impact on polycystic ovary syndrome risk remains unclear.Our research employs Mendelian Randomization to assess how fertility nutrients affect PCOS risk. Initially, we reviewed 49 nutrients and focused on 10: omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, dehydroepiandrosterone, vitamin D, betaine, inositol, berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, and metformin. Using methodologies of Inverse Variance Weighting and Mendelian Randomization-Egger regression, we examined their potential causal relationships with PCOS risk.Our findings indicate omega-3 fatty acids reduced PCOS risk (OR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.94, P=0.016), whereas betaine increased it (OR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.09-6.17, P=0.031). No definitive causal relations were observed for calcium, dehydroepiandrosterone, vitamin D, inositol, and metformin (P>0.05). Drug target Mendelian Randomization analysis suggested that increased expression of the berberine target gene BIRC5 in various tissues may raise PCOS risk (OR: 3.00-4.88; P: 0.014-0.018), while elevated expressions of curcumin target gene CBR1 in Stomach and epigallocatechin gallate target gene AHR in Adrenal Gland were associated with reduced PCOS risk (OR=0.48, P=0.048; OR=0.02, P=0.018, respectively).Our research reveals that specific fertility nutrients supplementation, such as omega-3 fatty acids, berberine, and curcumin, may reduce the risk of PCOS by improving metabolic and reproductive abnormalities associated with it.

    Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Fertility Nutrients, Mendelian randomization, drug target Mendelian randomization, Reproductive Health

    Received: 19 Apr 2024; Accepted: 03 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Shao, Xu, Zhao, Zhang, Wang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hui Wang, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

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