title: Effect of vitamin D3 on mild to moderate persistent asthmatic patients: A randomized controlled pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the bronchial airways. Well defined treatment options for asthma are very few. The role of vitamin D3 on asthma is still baffling.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We have examined the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation in mild to moderate persistent asthma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an open labeled, randomized comparative trial in 48 asthma patients. The study duration was about 90 days. The study had a run-in-period of 2 weeks. At the end of run-in-period, patients were divided into two groups: Usual care group (n = 31) patients received budesonide and formoterol and intervention care group (n = 32) patients received vitamin D3 supplementation along with their regular medicine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary outcome of the study was to measure the improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Patients in both groups had a significant improvement in FEV1 at the end of the study. The mean difference in percentage predicted FEV1 in usual care and intervention care group was 4.95 and 7.07 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study concluded that adjunctive therapy of vitamin D3 is effective in asthma patients. The present study will be an evidence based report; however, future studies are warranted in longer duration of time to substantiate the present findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Porur, India.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Nageswari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sri Ramachandra University, Porur, India.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rajanandh
authors.affiliation: Doctor of Pharmacy, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Kanchipuram Dt, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: R Kamala
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Priyanka
authors.affiliation: Doctor of Pharmacy, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Kanchipuram Dt, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajasekhar
keywords: Asthma; budesonide; forced expiratory volume in 1 s; formoterol; vitamin D3