Vitamin D Deficiency Worsens COPD

[gerald]

I think this topic has shown up before. However it appears the medical community is taking another serious look at it.  Last visit to the doctor he advised me to start taking 4000 units per day to counteract the affect of the corticosteroids which apparently depletes vitamin D.

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A vitamin D deficiency makes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worse, according to Nele Heulens, of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, and several colleagues. The results of their study were published in Respiratory Research on September , 2015.

COPD involves airway inflammation, and cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for the disease. However, it appears that a vitamin D deficiency could speed the progression of the condition, as well as make the symptoms worse. The authors of this study investigated vitamin D deficiency and cigarette smoke exposure in mice.

Both vitamin D deficient and a control group of mice were divided into two groups: those exposed to cigarette smoke, and those exposed to ambient air. Both subacute (6 weeks) and chronic (12 weeks) cigarette smoke exposure were tested. The researchers measured lung function, the structures of the airways and lungs, and performed an analysis of the cellular infiltrate and lung parenchyma/

The mice that were vitamin D deficient showed “accelerated lung function decline following cigarette smoke exposure compared to control mice.” Those that were exposed to cigarette smoke for 6 weeks showed signs of lung hyperinflation, while the control group did not. Additionally, the only mice that exhibited early symptoms of emphysema were the vitamin D deficient mice. The researchers also noted that cigarette smoke exposure in the vitamin D deficient mice had significantly more airway inflammation than the control group.

Previous studies have shown that vitamin D has both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. This study aimed to show that a vitamin D deficiency has a direct influence on the pathogenesis of a murine model of subacute and chronic cigarette exposure. Lack of vitamin D accelerates the loss of lung function, and increases inflammation in mice exposed to cigarette smoke. The researchers suggest that “large preventive trials assessing the effect of vitamin D supplementation on COPD onset” could provide more insight into the role of vitamin D in patients with COPD.

www.hcplive.com/medical-news/vitamin-d-deficiency-worsens-copd
www.rtmagazine.com/2015/10/vitamin-d-deficiency-worsens-copd/ 

[jim]

Thank you for sharing Gerald, I'll ask my doc how my D level was in my last blood test.

[John]

Thanks Gerald good information

[judi]

Good to know, I just took some.

[izzie]

Thanks Gerald,

I started taking 4000 IU of Vitamin D about 2 months ago and I can report that I have significantly less mucous, breathing better and able to walk further and for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Don't get me wrong, I still have to concentrate on healthy eating choices, but everything little thing we can do to improve our quality of life is a bonus.

[jim]

That's great news Izzie, keep up the good work. thumbsupde1