Vitamin D and COPD:
Vitamin D levels and COPD: COPD was fund to be associated with a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, especially in subjects with obesity, in current smokers, and in subjects with depression compared to controls (11).
A placebo controlled intervention study evaluated the effect of supplementation with high doses of vitamin D in a 3 month rehabilitation program in 50 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results indicate that compared to the placebo group, patients receiving a monthly dose of 100,000 IU of vitamin D had a larger improvement on inspiratory muscle strength (-11±12 cmH2O vs 0±14 cmH2O; p = 0.004) and maximal oxygen uptake (110±211 ml/min vs -20±187 ml/min; p = 0.029). There was a similar trend towards higher quadriceps strength and six minutes walking distance, but there was no statistical difference between groups. This analysis suggested that in patients with COPD, high dose supplementation with vitamin D may be beneficial when combined with a rehabilitation program. (4)