Severe and uncontrolled adult asthma is associated with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency

Research

Severe and uncontrolled adult asthma is associated with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency

Stephanie Korn, Marisa Hübner, Matthias Jung, Maria Blettner and Roland Buhl

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Respiratory Research 2013, 14:25 doi:10.1186/1465-9921-14-25

Published: 22 February 2013

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Vitamin D has effects on the innate and adaptive immune system. In asthmatic children low vitamin D levels are associated with poor asthma control, reduced lung function, increased medication intake, and exacerbations. Little is known about vitamin D in adult asthma patients or its association with asthma severity and control.

Methods

Clinical parameters of asthma control and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum concentrations were evaluated in 280 adult asthma patients (mean +/- SD: 45.0 +/- 13.8 yrs., 40% male, FEV1 74.9 +/- 23.4%, 55% severe, 51% uncontrolled).

Conclusions

25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/ml are common in adult asthma and most pronounced in patients with severe and/or uncontrolled asthma, supporting the hypothesis that improving suboptimal vitamin D status might be effective in prevention and treatment of asthma.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.