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Vitamin D and Asthma—Life After VIDA?

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (JM Portnoy and CE Ciaccio, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The vitamin D hypothesis postulates that lower vitamin D levels are causally associated with increased asthma risk and asthma severity. Multiple epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between circulating vitamin D levels (in the form of 25-hydroxy vitamin D) and asthma severity and control and lung function. However, in the recently published vitamin D and asthma (VIDA) study, vitamin D supplementation failed to show an improvement in asthma control in adults. This article reviews the current epidemiological and trial evidence for vitamin D and asthma and explores some of the possible alternative explanations for previous findings (including “reverse causation” and the importance of studying children and adults). We also address some of the unique challenges of conducting vitamin D trials and potential ways to address them. Finally, I will argue for further clinical trials of vitamin D in asthma, especially in children, using knowledge gained from the VIDA trial.

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Conflict of Interest

John M. Brehm declares that he receives support from the National Institutes of Health (K08 HL111201).

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the author.

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  1. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA

    John M. Brehm

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  1. John M. Brehm
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Correspondence to John M. Brehm.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

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Brehm, J.M. Vitamin D and Asthma—Life After VIDA?. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 14, 461 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-014-0461-5

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