Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Poorer Lung Function In Asthmatic Children

The harmful effects of a vitamin D deficiency have been well documented over the past few years. Low blood levels of the nutrient have been linked to an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and bone loss.

According to a recently released study, inadequate vitamin D levels are also associated with inferior lung function and increased medication use in asthmatic children.

"Asthmatic children in our study who had low levels of vitamin D were more allergic, had poorer lung function and used more medications," said lead author Daniel Searing.

"Conversely, our findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may help reverse steroid resistance in asthmatic children and reduce the effective dose of steroids needed for our patients," he added.

For the study, Searing and his colleagues from the National Jewish Health Center analyzed the medical data of 100 pediatric asthma patients, finding that 47 percent of the group were suffering from a vitamin D deficiency. After examining each respondent, the research team found that patients with low nutrient levels had higher allergy markers, decreased lung function and responded positively to more allergens in a skin prick test.