Frequency of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients of Asthma

Introduction Asthma is a clinical syndrome characterized by reversible and recurrent airway obstruction leading to the symptoms of wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, and respiratory distress. It is one of the most common lung pathologies worldwide. Its incidence is on the rise in Pakistan, which may be due to overt environmental pollution or improving screening protocols. Irrespective more and more patients are now being diagnosed as cases of asthma and this has led to renewed interest in research for the subject locally. Vitamin D plays a key component of the immune system and its deficiency has been associated with diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, sepsis, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. The role of vitamin D in exacerbation, prevention, causation, and treatment of asthma is still up for debate. However, as more data emerges, it is becoming evident that vitamin D in one way or another is linked to outcomes in asthma. Especially the deficiency of vitamin D in asthma and its supplementation has garnered great attention in scientific trials. Our research is just one small step in this direction. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in patients with asthma. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional cohort conducted at the Department of Medicine of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Karachi (ASHK) during March 2019 to August 2019. Patients of either gender aged ≥18 years that were diagnosed with cases of asthma were eligible to be included in the study. Asthma was defined in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the Pakistan Chest Society. A vitamin D level of <20 ng/dl was considered deficient. Patient confidentiality was made certain. Results A total of 97 (62.98%) of the 154 patients included in the study had <20 ng/ml of vitamin D level. The mean vitamin D level recorded in this study was 15.34±4.21 ng/dl. The male-to-female ratio was 1:5. The mean age of our cohort was 42.78±4.56 years. The mean duration of disease, i.e., asthma was 6.7±3.68 years. Both the age of the patients and duration of the disease were found to be statistically significant with respect to vitamin D levels in asthmatics. Conclusions The frequency of vitamin D deficiency is very high in patients with asthma. These suboptimal levels are significantly influenced by the age of the patient and the duration of the disease.