Vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia patients associated with increased mortality
A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that adult patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia are more likely to die if they have Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is known to be involved in the innate immune response to infection.
The team of researchers at Waikato Hospital and the Universities of Waikato and Otago, measured vitamin D in the blood samples of 112 adult patients admitted with community acquired pneumonia during the winter at the only acute-care hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The researchers found that Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher mortality within the first 30 days after hospital admission for pneumonia. The association between vitamin D deficiency was not explained by patient age, sex, comorbidities, the severity of the systemic inflammatory response, or other known prognostic factors.
The authors conclude that "improved understanding of Vitamin D and its role in immunity may lead to better ways to prevent and/or treat pneumonia. We now need to investigate whether Vitamin D supplements could be a useful addition to pneumonia treatment and whether using supplements could help to prevent or reduce the severity of pneumonia among high-risk populations."
Source: Wiley-Blackwell
Other sources
- Low vitamin D risks deathfrom Science AlertWed, 11 May 2011, 12:31:26 UTC
- Vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia patients associated with increased mortalityfrom Science DailyTue, 10 May 2011, 15:30:18 UTC
- Vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia patients associated with increased mortalityfrom Science BlogTue, 10 May 2011, 15:00:16 UTC
- Vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia patients associated with increased mortalityfrom PhysorgTue, 10 May 2011, 14:30:38 UTC
- Infant RSV linked to vitamin D deficiency: studyfrom CBC: HealthMon, 9 May 2011, 19:00:42 UTC