Asthma in the elderly: the effect of choline supplementation

Asthma in the elderly is poorly understood as very few studies have included these patients. DNA methylation can affect the expression of asthma susceptibility genes. Methyl groups can be produced through a choline dependent pathway. Asthmatics have decreased serum choline. We studied the effect of choline supplementation in elderly asthmatics and associations between different parameters at baseline.

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Thirty asthmatics 65 years old and older were evaluated at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks later. They randomly received choline bitartrate 310 mg and placebo capsules twice daily for 6 weeks.

Ninety percent of the study subjects were atopic and 97 % of them were using inhaled corticosteroids. Choline supplementation did not affect ACT (asthma control test), spirometric values, eosinophil counts or total serum IgE vs. placebo (p > 0.86 for all comparisons). In subjects with lower ACT (≤20), lower FEV1 % (<60 %), or higher eosinophil counts (≥0.6), there was similarly no difference between choline and placebo (p > 0.63). We found no significant association between eosinophil counts and IgE and the other parameters at baseline including in subjects with lower ACT or on higher inhaled steroid doses (p > 0.09). Asthmatic women had lower baseline ACT scores compared to men (p = 0.02).

In this study of elderly asthmatics, choline supplementation for 6 weeks did not affect ACT scores, spirometric values, peripheral blood eosinophils, or total serum IgE. These results will require confirmation in larger and longer studies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02371993.