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Vitamin D in pulmonary disease
Emily M O'Reilly1,2, Desmond M Murphy1,2
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
Breathe (Sheffield, England)
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Vitamin D may impact respiratory health by influencing inflammation and immunity. More research, especially large trials in vitamin D deficient individuals, is needed to confirm its benefits for various lung conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin D is crucial for calcium and bone metabolism.
- Emerging evidence suggests vitamin D also modulates inflammation, immunity, and host defense.
- Vitamin D insufficiency is linked to adverse respiratory outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on vitamin D's role in inflammatory mechanisms of respiratory diseases.
- To explore vitamin D's immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects in lung conditions.
- To assess the current evidence for vitamin D supplementation in respiratory disease.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of existing literature.
- Focus on inflammatory pathways in asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and acute respiratory infections.
- Analysis of observational studies and clinical trial data.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D influences immune responses and inflammation relevant to respiratory health.
- Observational data often support a protective role for vitamin D.
- Clinical trial results are mixed and do not consistently align with mechanistic data.
Conclusions:
- The precise clinical utility of vitamin D supplementation for respiratory diseases remains unclear.
- Further large-scale, long-duration randomized controlled trials are necessary.
- Future studies should prioritize vitamin D-deficient populations to clarify its role.
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