Vitamin D and asthma.

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency and asthma are common conditions that share risk factors such as African American ethnicity, inner-city residence, and obesity. This review provides a critical examination of current experimental and epidemiologic evidence of a causal association between vitamin D status and asthma or asthma morbidity, including potential protective mechanisms such as antiviral effects and enhanced steroid responsiveness. Because most published epidemiologic studies of vitamin D and asthma or asthma morbidity are observational, a recommendation for or against vitamin D supplementation as preventive or secondary treatment for asthma is not advisable and must await results of ongoing clinical trials. Should these trials confirm a beneficial effect of vitamin D, others will be needed to assess the role of vitamin D supplementation to prevent or treat asthma in different groups such as infants, children of school age, and ethnic minorities.

• Authors: Grace Paul, John M Brehm, John F Alcorn, Fernando Holguín, Shean J Aujla, Juan C Celedón
• Journal: American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine (Am J Respir Crit Care Med) Vol. 185 Issue 2 Pg. 124-32 (Jan 15 2012) ISSN: 1535-4970 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22016447 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Bone Density Conservation Agents
• Vitamin D

Topics

• Asthma (drug therapy, epidemiology, etiology)
• Bone Density Conservation Agents (therapeutic use)
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Humans
• Risk Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• United States (epidemiology)
• Vitamin D (therapeutic use)
• Vitamin D Deficiency (complications, drug therapy, epidemiology)