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Vitamin D and Respiratory Diseases

Based on 11th Dr. I. C. Verma Excellence in Research Award for Young Pediatricians Delivered as Oration on 15th Oct. 2023

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Abstract

The significance of Vitamin D has been appreciated beyond bone health and calcium metabolism. The importance of Vitamin D in respiratory health has been recognized due to its immunomodulatory and anti-microbial properties. The hypothesis is that Vitamin D could have a significant role in the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases and may represent a novel preventive and therapeutic strategy. Furthermore, enumerable observational studies established the association of Vitamin D deficiency with respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc. However, experimental studies have not shown the encouraging results. This brief review will summarize and discuss the synthesis and metabolism of Vitamin D, the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in children, its role in the pathogenesis of various childhood respiratory diseases, and an overview of the therapeutic trials assessing the role of Vitamin D supplementation in childhood respiratory diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

    Jagdish Prasad Goyal

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JPG has written this manuscript as part of Dr. I. C. Verma Excellence in Research Award. He will act as guarantor for this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jagdish Prasad Goyal.

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Goyal, J.P. Vitamin D and Respiratory Diseases. Indian J Pediatr 91, 67–72 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-023-04904-2

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