Taking vit D supplements can halve the risk of asthma attacks

NEW UK research has found that taking oral vitamin D supplements alongside standard asthma medication could halve the risk of attacks for sufferers that need hospital assistance.

Led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London, the study looked at data from 955 participants taking part in seven randomised controlled trials, which tested the use of vitamin D supplements and included patients with mild to moderate asthma.

The results showed that taking vitamin D supplements led to a 30% reduction in the rate of asthma attacks requiring treatment with steroid tablets or injections.

They also showed a 50% reduction in the risk of experiencing at least one asthma attack requiring hospitalisation.

It is believed vitamin D can have a protective effect against asthma attacks by boosting immune responses to respiratory infections and reducing harmful airway inflammation, which is a common cause of asthma attacks.

“These results add to the ever-growing body of evidence that vitamin D can support immune function as well as bone health,” commented lead researcher Prof Adrian Martineau. “On average, three people in the UK die from asthma attacks every day. Vitamin D is safe to take and relatively inexpensive so supplementation represents a potentially cost-effective strategy to reduce this problem.” The team also pointed out that the vitamin D supplements given to participants were found to be safe at the doses given, with no excessively high calcium levels or renal stones seen during the study. Although the study had some limitations, including a sma l l number of participants in each of the subgroup, Prof Hywel Williams, the director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)’s Health Technology Assessment Programme, said: “The results bring together evidence from several other studies. “This is an important contribution to reducing uncertainties on whether vitamin D is helpful for asthma – a common condition that impacts on many thousands of people worldwide.” – AFP-Relaxnews