Treat Vitamin D Deficiency to Prevent Attacks of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Treat Vitamin D Deficiency to Prevent Attacks of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
D supplements protect against asthma attacks and acute respiratory infections R_Szatkowski/Shutterstock
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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.
Adrian Martineau
Adrian Martineau
Author
Professor of Respiratory Infection and Immunity, Queen Mary University of London
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