Did you know that respiratory diseases are not only related to bacterial or viral infections?
This is evident from a study led by the University of Surrey and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Severe vitamin D deficiency is linked to higher rates of hospital admissions for respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Scientists found that people with a severe deficiency (less than 15 nmol/l) were 33 percent more likely to be admitted to hospital for treatment than people with enough vitamin D (at least 75 nmol/l).
In the largest study of its kind, analyzing NHS data from the UK Biobank, researchers from Surrey, working with the University of Reading and the University of Oxford, examined the link between vitamin D status and the number of hospital admissions due to respiratory infections.
Middle-aged and older adults are at high risk of developing respiratory infections, with lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) being among the top 20 leading causes of death worldwide for those aged 50-74 years and in the top 10 for those aged 75 years and over.
Abi Bournot, BBSRC Food Biosystems PhD Research Fellow and lead author at the University of Surrey, said:
“Vitamin D is essential for our physical well-being. Not only does it keep our bones and muscles healthy, but its antibacterial and antiviral properties are also thought to help reduce the risk of respiratory infections, which can lead to hospital admission.”
He continued: “This study combines hard data to support the theory. Despite its importance to our overall health, many people are deficient and do not meet the government’s recommended intake of 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day.”
“Supplementing the vitamin, especially in the winter months when our exposure to sunlight is limited, is an effective way to increase vitamin D and reduce the risk of serious respiratory infections. This is particularly important for older people who are at higher risk of death from such infections, and ethnic minority communities in Britain, who are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency,” the expert concluded.
