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Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Rapid Decline in Exercise Capacity in Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive
Changhwan Kim1, Ji Ye Jung, Young Sam Kim
1Department of Internal Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
Background:
Vitamin D is suggested to play a role in airway and systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels have been suggested to be associated with lower lung function and poorer exercise capacity in COPD.
Objectives:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin D deficiency on the change in exercise capacity in male COPD patients.
Methods:
A total of 156 male subjects were selected from the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease cohort. Vitamin D deficiency was subdivided into three subgroups: mild, moderate, and severe deficiency groups. Rapid decline was defined as an annual rate of change in exercise capacity ≥17 m. Exercise capacity was assessed by 6-minute walk distance (6MWD).
Results:
Significant differences were observed in the serum levels of 25-OHD, the number of patients with vitamin D sufficiency, and moderate-to-severe deficiency between rapid decliners (n = 40) and non-rapid decliners (n = 116). No differences were found between the groups for age, smoking status, lung function, and 6MWD. Multivariate analysis showed that vitamin D deficiency was independently related to rapid decline in exercise capacity (p = 0.028). A statistically significant difference was observed among the subgroups of vitamin D deficiency in terms of the change in exercise capacity (p < 0.001). The annual decline in exercise capacity was prominent in the severe deficiency group (23.1 m/year).
Conclusion:
This study shows that vitamin D deficiency is associated with rapid decline in exercise capacity in male patients with COPD.
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