Vitamin D Intake and Obesity in Occupational Asthma Patients and the Need for Supplementation

Occupational asthma occurs in a significant number of adult unset forms of asthma. Even after exposure cessation, persistent asthma is frequent. Although recognized as important, nutrition, specifically vitamin D intake, was rarely evaluated in occupational asthma.

To assess the vitamin D intake in occupational asthma patients and the relation with body mass index, co-morbidities related to vitamin D deficit, lung function and quality of life.

We found a reduced vitamin D intake in both irritant and allergic asthma, in obese and nonobese patients. The average intake in non-obese patients, although higher, did not reach statistical significance. We also found lower vitamin D intake in the mild asthma group versus the severe group, marginally reaching the significance level (p=0.056) at the median test. Regression analysis in asthma subpopulations revealed a different pattern of correlation, with a stronger relationship between the BMI and the impact score in irritant asthma and a closer link between vitamin D intake and symptoms score (p= 0.027) in the allergic asthma group.

The relation between obesity and vitamin D on clinical scores and lung function seems to be different according to the asthma phenotype. However, our study supports the usefulness of nutritional interventions in all occupational asthma patients, targeting both the reduction of the fat mass and the achievement of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. When analyzing the impact of the weight loss effect on asthma evolution, the vitamin D status should also be considered as an influencer.