Asthmatic Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency have Decreased Exacerbations after Vitamin Replacement.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Intervention studies with vitamin D in asthma are inconclusive for several reasons, such as inadequate dosing or duration of supplementation or uncontrolled baseline vitamin D status. Our aim was to evaluate the benefit of long term vitamin D add-on in asthmatic patients with actual vitamin D deficiency, that is a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD ) below 20 ng/mL.

METHODS:

Serum 25-OHD, asthma exacerbations, spirometry and inhaled corticosteroids (CS) dose were evaluated in a cohort of 119 asthmatic patients. Patients with deficiency were evaluated again after one year vitamin supplementation.

RESULTS:

25-OHD was low in 111 patients and was negatively related to exacerbations (p < 0.001), inhaled CS dose (p = 0.008) and asthma severity (p = 0.001). Deficiency was found in 90 patients, 55 of whom took the supplement regularly for one year, while 24 discontinued the study and 11 were not adherent. Patients with vitamin D deficiency after 12 months supplementation showed significant decrease of exacerbations (from 2.6 ± 1.2 to 1.6 ± 1.1, p < 0.001), circulating eosinophils (from 395 ± 330 to 272 ± 212 10⁶/L, p < 0.001), and need of oral CS courses (from 35 to 20, p = 0.007) and improvement of airway obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS:

Asthma exacerbations are favored by vitamin D deficiency and decrease after long-term vitamin D replacement. Patients who are vitamin D deficient benefit from vitamin D supplementation.

• Authors: Paolo Solidoro, Michela Bellocchia, Ilaria Aredano, Alessio Mattei, Emanuele Pivetta, Filippo Patrucco, Monica Boita, Francesca de Blasio, Luisa Brussino, Giovanni Rolla, Caterina Bucca
• Journal: Nutrients (Nutrients) Vol. 9 Issue 11 (Nov 11 2017) ISSN: 2072-6643 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 29137124 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Biomarkers
• Vitamin D
• Cholecalciferol
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Topics

• Administration, Inhalation
• Adolescent
• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (administration & dosage)
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Asthma (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Cholecalciferol (administration & dosage)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Dietary Supplements
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Lung (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Retrospective Studies
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Vitamin D (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Vitamin D Deficiency (blood, complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Young Adult