Vitamin D impact on Adult Asthma Control

Vitamin D is known to be important when it comes to bone health and also in diseases where inflammation occurs, like asthma. Many people, including some of those with asthma, have low levels of vitamin D. A new study examined whether adults could achieve better asthma control if their vitamin D levels were increased to normal. “Perhaps by replacing the vitamin D we could actually help their medications work better, in particular inhaled steroids and that that would help control that inflammation and control their asthma better.” Dr. Mario Castro and co-authors looked at 408 adults. All of them had symptomatic asthma requiring inhaled steroids along with low vitamin D levels. Half the participants were given high dose vitamin D supplements for a total of 28 weeks. The other half were given a placebo.  “There was no effect on asthma control and this was whether or not we looked at asthma exacerbations or their symptoms or their control of their asthma. All those things were not affected by replacing their vitamin D.” The study appears in a theme issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.