(RxWiki News) Vitamin D has been making news of late, helping diabetics and menopausal women. It's effectiveness as a supplement may extend to asthma patients.
A new study is seeking volunteers to test the effectiveness of vitamin D on asthma treatments. Researchers hope that vitamin D will help reduce asthma symptoms. This would be a cost-effective and easy way for asthma patients to reduce the amount of medication they take.
"Ask your doctor about other clinical trials for new asthma treatments."
Some asthma patients have a lower level of vitamin D according to Dr. Jerry Krishnan, professor of medicine, pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and allergy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Asthma patients with low levels of vitamin D are more prone to asthma attacks and reduced lung function, says Dr. Krishnan.
By possibly increasing vitamin D levels, it can help the effectiveness of asthma treatment thereby reducing how much medication is needed. The researchers recommend against using vitamin D outside of the trial because there may be some side effects with the treatment.
A study in 2009 study conducted by the Creighton University Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology examined medical databases to find a link between vitamin D and asthma. Researchers concluded that supplementing vitamin D might reduce inflammation and improve asthma symptoms.
Dr. Krishnan is looking for asthma patients, who use medication to treat their asthma, aged 18 and over nationwide to volunteer for the VIDA (Vitamin D add-on therapy enhances corticosteroid responsiveness in Asthma) study.
The VIDA study will provide volunteers with vitamin D or a placebo to be taken daily alongside their normal medication. Volunteers will have their asthma and lung function tested at home and scheduled clinical appointments over the nine months of the study.
This study is encouraging because it can provide an effective, cheap and readily available way to help reduce asthma symptoms and boost treatment effectiveness. All volunteers will be compensated for their time. Anyone interested in volunteering should call 1-855-I-WHEEZE (1-855-494-3393) for more information.
This study is being conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago.
