Vitamin D Deficiency Aggravates Asthma in Adults
Adults with asthma are 25 percent more likely to suffer from an asthma attack that those who have adequate Vitamin D levels.
Asthma inflames and narrows the airways, making it difficult for the patient to breathe. There is no known cure, but asthma can be managed with medication and by limiting contact with allergens and other triggers.
"Vitamin D has significant immunomodulatory effects and is believed to have an effect on asthma - an immunologically mediated disease," said Dr. Ronit Confino-Cohen, of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.
The Vitamin D levels of 307,900 people were measured between 2008 and 2012, and among these, 21,237 people had physician-diagnosed asthma.
The results of the analysis proved that those participants with a Vitamin D deficiency were 25 percent more likely than other asthma patients to have had at least one asthma attack in the recent past.
These results remained consistent even after the researchers accounted for other risk factors for asthma, such as obesity, smoking and other existing chronic illnesses.
"The results add more evidence to the link between Vitamin D and asthma, suggesting beneficial effects of Vitamin D on asthma exacerbations", Dr Confino-Cohen added.
While we get most of our Vitamin D from sun exposure, experts recommend obtaining Vitamin D from other sources like fish, eggs, cod liver oil or dietary supplements as overexposure to the sun is dangerous.
Based on the results, the researchers recommend that asthmatic patients whose symptoms cannot be managed with existing treatments should have their Vitamin D levels tested. Increasing Vitamin D levels can effectively improve the lives of patients who suffer from asthma.
Previously conducted studies have also linked asthma and Vitamin D by showing that asthmatic children with low Vitamin D levels have poorer lung function.
Asthma inflames and narrows the airways, making it difficult for the patient to breathe. There is no known cure, but asthma can be managed with medication and by limiting contact with allergens and other triggers.
"Vitamin D has significant immunomodulatory effects and is believed to have an effect on asthma - an immunologically mediated disease," said Dr. Ronit Confino-Cohen, of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.
The Vitamin D levels of 307,900 people were measured between 2008 and 2012, and among these, 21,237 people had physician-diagnosed asthma.
The results of the analysis proved that those participants with a Vitamin D deficiency were 25 percent more likely than other asthma patients to have had at least one asthma attack in the recent past.
These results remained consistent even after the researchers accounted for other risk factors for asthma, such as obesity, smoking and other existing chronic illnesses.
"The results add more evidence to the link between Vitamin D and asthma, suggesting beneficial effects of Vitamin D on asthma exacerbations", Dr Confino-Cohen added.
While we get most of our Vitamin D from sun exposure, experts recommend obtaining Vitamin D from other sources like fish, eggs, cod liver oil or dietary supplements as overexposure to the sun is dangerous.
Based on the results, the researchers recommend that asthmatic patients whose symptoms cannot be managed with existing treatments should have their Vitamin D levels tested. Increasing Vitamin D levels can effectively improve the lives of patients who suffer from asthma.
Previously conducted studies have also linked asthma and Vitamin D by showing that asthmatic children with low Vitamin D levels have poorer lung function.
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