Correcting vitamin D deficiency nearly halves the risk of potentially fatal lung attacks in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), our latest study has found.
COPD describes several lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, where a person’s airways become inflamed, making it harder to breathe. Almost all COPD deaths are due to lung attacks (termed “exacerbations”) in which symptoms worsen sharply. These are often triggered by viral upper respiratory infections – the type that cause the common cold.
Vitamin D – “the sunshine vitamin” – is best known for its effects on bone, but it also boosts immunity to viral infections. Our previous research at Queen Mary, University of London, has shown that vitamin D supplements protect against asthma attacks and acute respiratory infections, such as colds and flu, in people who have low vitamin D levels to start with….