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# Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked to Severe Asthma Exacerbation
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_insufficiency_asthma_0912120706/
- Published: 2012-09-12T08:04:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:09:18.000Z
- Description: Among 560 Puerto Rican children aged 6 to 14, those with asthma and vitamin D below 30 ng/mL were 2.6 times as likely as those with sufficient levels to have had a severe exacerbation in the past year. Among non-atopic children with asthma, the gap reached 6.2 times.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By Chung Wang

Wednesday Sept 12, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- Children with asthma who have vitamin D insufficiency are at high risk for severe asthma exacerbation, according to a study in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

John M. Brehm at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and colleagued conducted the study and found vitamin D insufficiency was common in both Puerto Rican children with asthma (44%) and without (47%). But those with asthma who had vitamin D insufficiency were 2.6 times as likely as those who had sufficient vitamin D to have one or more severe asthma exacerbations in the past year, and atopy and a lower FEV1/FVC.

Atopy also known as atopic syndrome is a predisposition toward developing certain allergic reactions. The FEV1/FVC ratio, also called Tiffeneau index, is a measure of pulmonary function and commonly used to diagnose obstructive (like asthma) and restrictive lung disease.

Vitamin D insufficiency was defined as having a serum vitamin D (25(OH)D level of lower than 30 ng/mL. The condition has been associated with severe asthma exacerbation in earlier studies. The current study was intended to determine whether racial ancestry, atopy and time outdoors affect the association between vitamin D insufficiency and severe asthma exacerbation in Puerto Rican children.

Enrolled in the study were 560 children aged 6 to 14 years with 287 suffering asthma and 273 without in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Plasma vitamin D was measured in all participants and the percentage of African racial ancestry was estimated.

The results showed that among nonatopic children with asthma, those who had vitamin D insufficiency were 6.2 times as likely as those with sufficient vitamin D to experience sever exacerbation. Among atopic children with asthma, those with vitamin D insufficiency were twice as likely as those with sufficient vitamin D to suffer severe exacerbation.

The researchers concluded "Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with severe asthma exacerbation in Puerto Rican children, independently of racial ancestry, atopy, or markers of disease severity or control."

Asthma, which affects more than 25 million Americans of whom 7 million are children, is a chronic or long-term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways making it hard for patients to breath. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing often at night or early in the morning, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.