Vitamin D Deficiency Linked with Severe Asthma

Children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) may have poorer lung function and worse symptoms compared to children with moderate asthma, due to lower levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to a study by researchers at King's College London. The team found that lower levels of vitamin D may cause structural changes in the airway smooth muscles of children with STRA, making breathing more difficult. This study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , provides important new evidence for possible treatments. The study was carried out by researchers from the MRC & Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at King's, The Royal Brompton Hospital and the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial College London. The scientists say the findings will help develop new treatment strategies for children suffering from difficult-to-treat asthma, who account for up to ten per cent of young asthma patients. While most children with asthma can be successfully treated with low doses of corticosteroids, about five to ten percent of asthmatic children do not respond to standard treatment. Children with STRA experience more asthma episodes and asthma-related illnesses, and require more healthcare services than their treatment-receptive peers.