Vitamin D deficiency as a potential risk factor - healing practice

Vitamin D with effects on asthmatic diseases?

Many people suffer from asthma, and children are also affected quite often. According to the results of a recent study, vitamin D could possibly play an important role in diseases.

An Iranian research team from Karbala University studied the link between vitamin D deficiency and childhood asthma and found a striking overlap. The results of the corresponding study were published in the "Journal of Preventive Diagnostics and Treatment Strategies in Medicine".

Millions of people with asthma worldwide

Asthma is an extremely common symptom that affects millions of people around the world, researchers report. Chronic respiratory disease is characterized in particular by increased inflammation of the airways and airway hypersensitivity.

Vitamin D and asthma

According to the researchers, vitamin D is of particular interest in asthma because of its immunomodulatory effects, and a deficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in serum is considered a risk factor for the development of serious chronic diseases in which the processes inflammation play a role.

Some previous studies have shown links between vitamin D and asthma, but other studies have found conflicting results, the research team explains.

In the current study, researchers used data from children who visited Karbala Children's University Hospital due to asthma to test whether there might be a link with vitamin D deficiency.

Significantly lower serum vitamin D levels

A total of 55 asthmatic children and 66 healthy children under the age of 14 were included in the study as an investigation and control group. The researchers explain that demographic information and body mass index were recorded for both groups. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood was also measured in the 116 children.

"Compared to the control group, significantly lower serum vitamin D levels were found in the patient group," the experts report on the results. Forty-six asthmatic children (92%) had vitamin D deficiency (30 ng/ml or less of 25-hydroxyvitamin D).

No significant relationship was found between vitamin D levels and age, sex, obesity, sun exposure and food intake in asthma.

No proven causal link

The study showed that the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in children with asthma is significantly higher than in controls, the researchers conclude. However, the extent to which there is a causal link cannot be determined from the results of the current study and now needs to be verified in further research. (fp)

Author and source information

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This text corresponds to the requirements of the specialized medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been verified by health professionals.

Sources:

Nabaa Mohammed Jawad Al-Tuama, Zuhair Mahdi Almusawi, Haidar Abdul Amir Najim Abood, Ali Abutiheen, Karrar Mohammed Jawad Al-tuama: The association between vitamin D deficiency and childhood asthma; in: Journal of Preventive Diagnostics and Treatment Strategies in Medicine (published 2022-06-15), jpdtsm.com

Important Note:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot substitute a visit to the doctor.