Note: many asthmatics were also low on Magnesium

Vitamin D Deficiency as a Strong Predictor of Asthma in Children.

Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2011 Oct 6;157(2):168-175.
Bener A, Ehlayel MS, Tulic MK, Hamid Q.
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Department of Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest a link between vitamin D deficiency in early life and development of asthma in later life.

Aim: The aim of this study was to measure serum vitamin D levels in asthmatic children and to compare these to healthy non-asthmatic controls.

Methods: Asthmatic (n = 483) and healthy control (n = 483) children were recruited from the Pediatric Allergy-Immunology Clinics of Hamad General Hospital and the Primary Health Care Clinics in Qatar from October 2009 to July 2010. All children were below 16 years of age and asthma was diagnosed by a physician. Parents of all children completed extensive questionnaires documenting demographics, child's feeding practice and vitamin D intake. Serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, magnesium, creatinine and parathyroid hormone assays were performed. Subjects with serum containing less than 20 ng/ml vitamin D were deemed deficient.

Results: Asthmatic children had significantly reduced serum vitamin D levels compared to non-asthmatic children (p < 0.001); 68.1% of all asthmatics were vitamin D deficient.
Asthmatic children had significantly higher degrees of moderate (41.8 vs. 25.1%) and severe (26.3 vs. 11.0%) vitamin D deficiency compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001).
Positive familial history of vitamin D deficiency (35.6%, p = 0.005) and asthma (36.4%, p = 0.009) were significantly higher in asthmatic children.

Along with vitamin D deficiency, asthmatics also had reduced phosphorus (p < 0.001) and magnesium (p = 0.001) levels but elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.001) and IgE (p < 0.001).
The majority of asthmatic children had less exposure to sunlight (66.7%, p = 0.006) and less physical activity (71.3%, p < 0.001).
Vitamin D deficiency was the strongest predictor of asthma in this population (OR 4.82; 95% CI 2.41-8.63, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The present study revealed that the majority of asthmatic children had vitamin D deficiency compared to control children.
Vitamin D deficiency was the major predictor of asthma in Qatari children.

Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PMID: 21986034
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See also Vitamin D Life

• Overview Asthma and Vitamin D
• Cresendo of papers on Asthma, Allergy, and Vitamin D – Sept 2011
• Severe asthma strongly associated with low vitamin D – Sept 2011
• Asthma worse with low Vitamin D only at age 4 - cohort study Sept 2011
• The Role of Vitamin D in Asthma – Mar 2010
• Low Vitamin D associated with asthma - 2010
• 1200 IU D3 reduced related asthma by 6X – May 2010
• Decreased vitamin D in children taking asthma drugs - April 2010
• Sun exposure protects children from asthma – May 2011
• Asthma Eczema and Vitamin D - Council Newsletter Oct 2010
• Severe asthma children 31X more likely to develop chronic obstructive lung disease -May 2010
• All items in Breathing and Vitamin D 73 items Oct 2011
• Oral steroid users were 2X more likely to have Vitamin D levels less than 10 ng– Sept 2011
  • Those younger than 18 were 14X more likely to have less than 10 ng
• Children with severe asthma had much lower levels of vitamin D – Dec 2011
• Magnesium Deficiency Reduces Vitamin D Effectiveness- Sept 2011
• Magnesium and Vitamin D - similar and different
  • Deficiencies of Magnesium and Vitamin D are both associated with asthma.