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Published on: August 7, 2017
Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in asthmatic children with vitamin D deficiency: A randomized controlled trial
Kana Ram Jat1, Nancy Goel1, Nandita Gupta2
1Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Insights
Vitamin D supplementation did not improve asthma control in deficient children. This study found no significant difference in asthma control test scores or exacerbations between vitamin D and placebo groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Nutritional Science
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Asthma control remains a challenge, with inconsistent results from vitamin D supplementation.
- Vitamin D deficiency is common in asthmatic children, necessitating further research into supplementation efficacy.
- Previous studies on vitamin D for asthma have yielded mixed outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin D supplementation in asthmatic children with vitamin D deficiency.
- To determine if vitamin D improves asthma control as measured by the Childhood Asthma Control Test (CACT).
- To assess the impact of vitamin D on asthma exacerbations and adverse effects in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 250 asthmatic children aged 4-12 years with low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels (<20 ng/mL).
- Participants received daily oral vitamin D (1000 IU/d) or a placebo for 9 months.
- Primary outcomes included the proportion of children achieving a CACT score ≥20 and evaluation of adverse events.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in CACT scores (≥20) was observed between the vitamin D and placebo groups (93.6% vs 92.0%, P=0.625).
- The incidence of asthma exacerbations and the side effect profiles were similar in both groups.
- Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased 25(OH)D levels in the intervention group (P < .001) but did not alter asthma control outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D supplementation does not improve asthma control in children with vitamin D deficiency.
- The findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation is not an effective strategy for enhancing asthma management in this specific pediatric group.
- Further research may be needed to explore other potential roles or optimal dosing strategies for vitamin D in pediatric asthma.
Background:
Vitamin D supplementations for asthma control had shown inconsistent results. We aimed to study efficacy and safety of vitamin D supplementation in asthmatic children who were vitamin D deficient.
Methods:
This double-blind, randomized controlled trial enrolled asthmatic children of 4-12 years of age who had 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels <20 ng/mL. The participants were randomized to receive either vitamin D orally 1000 IU/d for 9 months or similar-looking placebo. The primary outcomes were the proportion of children having the Childhood Asthma Control Test (CACT) score of ≥20 at the end of the treatment and adverse effects.
Results:
The trial included 250 children (125 in each group) with a mean age of 8.1 ± 2.3 years and 180 boys. The baseline parameters were similar between the groups, including CACT score (21.7 ± 4.2 vs 21.9 ± 3.6, vitamin D vs placebo). At the end of the study, the proportion of asthmatic children who had CACT score ≥ 20 was similar between vitamin D and placebo group (93.6% vs 92.0%, P = .625). The number of exacerbations of asthma and side effect profile was also identical between the groups. 25(OH)D levels increased significantly in the vitamin D group (18.06 ± 7.11 vs 12.03 ± 5.98 ng/mL, P < .001). The results did not change when we did subgroup analysis for children with baseline CACT score < 20 and 25(OH)D levels at the end of the study ≥20 ng/mL.
Conclusion:
Vitamin D supplementation in asthmatic children with vitamin D deficiency did not improve control of asthma.
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