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Vitamin D supplementation may reduce COPD flare-ups in people with severely low levels
16 January 2012
Much hope has been pinned on vitamin D to cure, prevent, or treat a host of diseases, including the lung disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
New research, however, may dash some of this enthusiasm for people with COPD, an umbrella name for chronic lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. People with COPD often experience a worsening of their breathlessness and other symptoms (exacerbations) throughout the course of their disease.
But vitamin D doesn't seem to reduce the number of these exacerbations. That said, vitamin D did benefit a small group of 30 people in the study who had severely low vitamin D levels when the study began.
The new findings appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Low Vitamin D Levels and COPD
Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies produce it when exposed to sunlight. The Institute of Medicine recommends that people aged 1 to 70 take in 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day, and people older than 70 should aim for 800 IUs. Some foods like fish and fortified dairy and juice products are rich in vitamin D, but supplements are also used to raise blood levels.
The new study included 182 people with COPD. Participants orally received 100,000 IU of vitamin D or an inactive placebo monthly for a year. There were 468 exacerbations during the study period, and there was no difference in the numbers between the different groups. There were also no differences in time to the first exacerbation between those who received vitamin D and those who did not.
People who took vitamin D did not report greater improvements in their quality of life or the number of times they were hospitalized for COPD, the study shows. Vitamin D also had no bearing on their lung function and risk of death.
However, in looking at a small subset of people with severely low vitamin D, the rate of exacerbations decreased among people who received vitamin D, the study showed. But the researchers note that the number of people in their study with severely low vitamin D was very small, so future studies to look at a possible benefit from vitamin D in people with severely low vitamin D levels need to be done to support the findings.
Screen for Low Vitamin D in COPD
Screening people with COPD for low vitamin D makes sense, says researcher Wim Janssens, MD, PhD, of the University Hospitals Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. Be aware that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in COPD and that it needs supplementation for bone health reasons, he says in an email. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for bone health.
Severe deficiency of vitamin D levels ... may even increase the COPD exacerbation rate and needs therefore aggressive supplementation, he says. But dont think that supplementation will cure your disease.Barry Make, MD, agrees. He is a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. The study suggests that going forward maybe we should study preventing exacerbations in people that have low vitamin D levels, he says.
His bottom line? Vitamin D is important to measure and if it is low, it makes sense to supplement, he says.
Adam Wanner, MD, is a pulmonologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He says the jury is still out on what role vitamin D supplements have, and in which COPD patients. There were no benefits in terms of exacerbations in the study, but when they looked at the subset of those who had severe vitamin D deficiency, there was a benefit, he says. This is an important study in the sense that it helps us design future studies.
The results of the study are in the eye of the beholder, says Michael Holick, MD, PhD. He is the director of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Lab at Boston University. Holick has been championing vitamin D for years.
Vitamin D has benefit above and beyond bone health, he says. There was a significant benefit for those people in the study who were most deficient.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitamin-d-supplementation-may-reduce-copd-flare-ups-in-people-with-severely-low-levels-/
I thought this was good for us to know about.
Holly
16 January 2012
Much hope has been pinned on vitamin D to cure, prevent, or treat a host of diseases, including the lung disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
New research, however, may dash some of this enthusiasm for people with COPD, an umbrella name for chronic lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. People with COPD often experience a worsening of their breathlessness and other symptoms (exacerbations) throughout the course of their disease.
But vitamin D doesn't seem to reduce the number of these exacerbations. That said, vitamin D did benefit a small group of 30 people in the study who had severely low vitamin D levels when the study began.
The new findings appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Low Vitamin D Levels and COPD
Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies produce it when exposed to sunlight. The Institute of Medicine recommends that people aged 1 to 70 take in 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day, and people older than 70 should aim for 800 IUs. Some foods like fish and fortified dairy and juice products are rich in vitamin D, but supplements are also used to raise blood levels.
The new study included 182 people with COPD. Participants orally received 100,000 IU of vitamin D or an inactive placebo monthly for a year. There were 468 exacerbations during the study period, and there was no difference in the numbers between the different groups. There were also no differences in time to the first exacerbation between those who received vitamin D and those who did not.
People who took vitamin D did not report greater improvements in their quality of life or the number of times they were hospitalized for COPD, the study shows. Vitamin D also had no bearing on their lung function and risk of death.
However, in looking at a small subset of people with severely low vitamin D, the rate of exacerbations decreased among people who received vitamin D, the study showed. But the researchers note that the number of people in their study with severely low vitamin D was very small, so future studies to look at a possible benefit from vitamin D in people with severely low vitamin D levels need to be done to support the findings.
Screen for Low Vitamin D in COPD
Screening people with COPD for low vitamin D makes sense, says researcher Wim Janssens, MD, PhD, of the University Hospitals Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. Be aware that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in COPD and that it needs supplementation for bone health reasons, he says in an email. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for bone health.
Severe deficiency of vitamin D levels ... may even increase the COPD exacerbation rate and needs therefore aggressive supplementation, he says. But dont think that supplementation will cure your disease.Barry Make, MD, agrees. He is a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. The study suggests that going forward maybe we should study preventing exacerbations in people that have low vitamin D levels, he says.
His bottom line? Vitamin D is important to measure and if it is low, it makes sense to supplement, he says.
Adam Wanner, MD, is a pulmonologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He says the jury is still out on what role vitamin D supplements have, and in which COPD patients. There were no benefits in terms of exacerbations in the study, but when they looked at the subset of those who had severe vitamin D deficiency, there was a benefit, he says. This is an important study in the sense that it helps us design future studies.
The results of the study are in the eye of the beholder, says Michael Holick, MD, PhD. He is the director of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Lab at Boston University. Holick has been championing vitamin D for years.
Vitamin D has benefit above and beyond bone health, he says. There was a significant benefit for those people in the study who were most deficient.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitamin-d-supplementation-may-reduce-copd-flare-ups-in-people-with-severely-low-levels-/
I thought this was good for us to know about.
Holly
Vitamin D is very important to health and supplementation for people who are deficient even more so.
Here's some more info from web MD about vit D deficiency for those interested:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency
The 100,000 IU they used in the trial for severe vit D deficiency, would be toxic for most people, over a period may cause more harm than good.
Vitamin D Council link about toxicity:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-toxicity/
Anyone who likes doing own research there's lots more info on vit D out there.
To be sure what is the right dose for you, check with your doc who can test your levels and prescribe the correct dose for you personally with ongoing monitoring to be sure your levels are always safe.
I know most people are aware of this but just included this additional info here for any newbies that may be viewing the board.
Thanks again Holly.
Have a great day.
Peta x
When my levels were critically low my doctor prescribed 50000 three times a week for a year to replenish it, and I did very well on it.
When the level got critically low I was so weak I could barely walk, and didn't know why until the diagnosis,
also during that time my lungs were suffering and I was having exacerbation after exacerbation... which goes along with the study about vitamin D above.
I swear my neurologist with the vitamin d got me back on line and that was when the exercising came into play for me.
Between the two, I am doing so much better today.
I do think its important not to take high doses of Vitamin D unless your doctor has tested you and there is a true need, and the doctor follows you while on the higher dose.
Holly
THEN I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE IT ANY MORE....WHO KNOWS TOO LONG FOR ME TO REMEMBER WHY.
BUT MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE IT AFTER READING????
BUT ONE THING FOR SURE IS....I'M GOING TO DIE WITH IT OR NOT....AND WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE i DON'T KNOW?
CAUSE NOW I HAVE TOO MANY ILLNESSES OR DEIASES.
ONE OF THEM WILL GET ME SOONER OR LATER....
I JUST WANT TO LIVE BUT IT'S IN GODS HANDS
SO THAT IS MY ANSWER BACK....LIVE FULLEST NEVER KNOW WHEN LORD WILL KNOTT ON OUR DOOR.
LOV EVERYONE JUST HAVE SOME FUN.
RUTHIEBEE
Sometimes people can't tolerate the higher doses, 50,000 IU would have been quite a high dose. Maybe you can tolerate a lower dose better. You could check again with your doc next time you see him/her to get their advice.
Hi Holly, that must have been a difficult time for you, low vitamin D deficiency levels are for sure harmful for to health. I'm so glad you have recovered and improved so much since then.
Hugs n Luv all xox
Linked the abstract from the real study (this article from the Vitamin D Council uses) showed UNLESS you were really severely low to start with , Vit D supplementation just to reduce exacerbation's didn't prove successful and even in those with significant deficiencies it only "may" reduce them. Study size was limited so we'll have to wait for better studies.
"Conclusion: High-dose vitamin D supplementation in a sample of patients with COPD did not reduce the incidence of exacerbation's. In participants with severe vitamin D deficiency at baseline, supplementation may reduce exacerbation's. "
http://www.annals.org/content/156/2/105.abstract
Have to laugh.. on other web reporting sites the title foe the same article by the Vit D Council instead reads.
."Study: Vitamin D Has No Clear Benefit for COPD Patients
But Vitamin D Supplementation May Reduce COPD Flare-ups in People With Severely Low Levels"...
like most things.. its the presentation.. but don't get me wrong -I don't discount the benefits of maintaining adequate levels of any essentials.. just you gotta know if your levels are good or not and not accidentally take too much.. that's also bad.
So just check again with your Dr Ruthie
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-toxicity/