Can Vitamin D Help Asthma?

This research study is one to follow, since it still is not clear if supplementing with vitamin D can help children with poorly controlled asthma if levels are low.  Dr Susarla

New Study Aims To Determine Relation Between Vitamins & Asthma

Previous studies show that lung function is worse in asthmatic children with a vitamin D deficiency, even when treated with inhaled steroids.

But the way these studies have been designed, only a link can be established — not cause and effect.

That’s why doctors at Allegheny General Hospital are taking part in a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in adults.

“This is actually your true best test to find a cause and effect relationship,” Dr, Deborah Gentile, an allergist at AGH, said.

Obesity, living in the city, and being African-American are common risk factors for both vitamin D deficiency and asthma.

So is it the vitamin D or some other factor that makes asthma harder to control? That’s what this clinical trial is designed to figure out.

Right now, they’re still screening for 12 participants to be randomly assigned to take 5,000 units of vitamin D daily or placebo.

To participate you must be 18 or older and have asthma and take controller medications, such as an inhaled steroid and still have symptoms several times a week.

You will not be eligible if you’ve smoked within the last year or if you already take high-dose vitamin D.

Aimee Fogarty is being screened today.

“My main things in the fall are ragweed, and dust mites are a killer for me. In the spring, it’s more grass,” she said.

Her inhaled steroids aren’t cutting it.

“They normally do, but right now, I’m having a little bit of a difficult time, and had to double the dose,” Fogarty said. “The taking of the steroids, I just don’t like it. It’s bothering me that I have to take a steroid to breathe better.”

People eligible for the study get a blood test for a vitamin D level, and breathing tests. Then, they are randomly assigned to a treatment group.

“Some will get placebo. Some will get vitamin D,” Dr. Gentile said.

For six months, lung function and symptoms will be closely watched.

“On the one hand, we may find it works, and it very inexpensively improves the outcomes in our patients. On the other hand, if it’s negative and we find out it doesn’t help, we know that it doesn’t help,” Dr. Gentile said.

“My whole family has it,” Fogarty said. “And if this can help people in any way, I’d like to be a part of it.”

Read article here.

Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (Asthma): What you need to know (Part 1)

Below is a summary from the Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm Landmark Survey, a study that evaluated exercise-related respiratory symptoms in children ages 4-17.  Dr. Susarla

Key Insights

The survey findings yield a number of important insights about asthma and exercise-induced bronchospasm in the United States: 

• Patients with asthma have a significant physical burden of disease, which produces lower self-health ratings, activity limitations, and sick days, compared with persons without asthma.
• Asthmatic patients with symptoms of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) also have a significant emotional or psychological burden of disease as demonstrated by feeling more fearful, isolated, depressed, frustrated, and embarrassed than persons without EIB symptoms.
• Nearly half of asthma patients report their health interferes with their ability to participate and perform well in sports, and more than a third feel they cannot keep up as well as other persons their own age in physical activities.
• When asked what usually triggers their asthma or makes it worse, nearly a third of asthma patients volunteer “exercise” --- more than any other asthma trigger.
• Four out of five asthma patients report experiencing symptoms after sports, exercise, play or other physical activity, but less than a quarter have been diagnosed with either exercise-induced asthma (EIA) or exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB).
• Less than a quarter of asthma patients with exercise-related symptoms take quick-relief medicine, like albuterol, always or most of the time prior to exercising.
• Patients’ understanding of exercise-related symptoms and their management are different than healthcare providers, which may lead to miscommunications between physicians and patients regarding proper asthma management.
• Results of the survey suggest that exercise-related symptoms among asthma patients may reflect uncontrolled or improperly managed asthma.
• The problem of EIB is not limited to persons with asthma with more than a quarter of the adult cross-section reporting respiratory symptoms during or after sports, exercise, play or other physical activities, while less than one in five have been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm. 

Read full reference here