Vitamin D Important for Lung Health

by CP Staff

In a recent study, vitamin D levels were evaluated in children to determine if there was a correlation with lung health. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin frequently deficient in children. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004 data, 9 percent of the pediatric population is vitamin D deficient and 61 percent, or 50.8 million US children and adolescents, are vitamin D insufficient.

In this new study, researchers compared serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in children with intermittent lung constriction. Lung function in the children was evaluated using several pulmonary tests including forced vital capacity, which is the amount of air one can expel from the lungs with maximal effort, and forced expiratory volume in one second, which is the amount of air one can expel from the lungs with maximal effort in one second. The forced expiratory volume in one second was evaluated both before and after a 45-minute exercise challenge.

The results of the study showed that there was a positive correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second. This means that increased levels of serum vitamin D were associated with increased lung function. Additionally, the study found that a 10 percent or greater reduction in lung function values observed with the exercise challenge was associated with lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations compared to the children who did not have a significant change in lung function values.

The researchers concluded that hypovitaminosis D is frequent in children with lung constriction. The study authors stated, “In those children, lower levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced lung function and with increased reactivity to exercise.”

Reference:

Chinellato I, Piazza M, Sandri M, Peroni DG, Cardinale F, Piacentini GL, Boner AL. Vitamin D serum levels and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children with asthma. Eur Respir J. 2010 Nov 11. Published Online Ahead of Print.