Vitamin D and asthma.
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.
Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA.
Grace
G
Paul
John M
JM
Brehm
John F
JF
Alcorn
Fernando
F
Holguín
Shean J
SJ
Aujla
Juan C
JC
Celedón
D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D014807:Vitamin D