The next study reviewed, which provided similar results as the previous studies and was published in 2014, by Ian et al. focuses on the role of vitamin D and oxidative stress on the exacerbation of asthma. The study was conducted on asthma patients for a period of a little over a year to ascertain Vitamin D levels in patients with asthma and individuals without it. The patients included in the study were those who were asthmatics and were having exacerbations. The study was conducted for over a year and included those who had to be further evaluated by specialists in the respiratory department. The exclusion criteria of the study were those who showed signs of pneumonia or who admitted to a ten-pack-a-year smoking history.4 The patients …show more content…
The study also showed that Vitamin D deficiency decreased FEV1, especially during asthma exacerbations.4 Some weaknesses of this study may be that the surveyors compared the results obtained in their study to those studies that were done “in vivo”.4 The strengths of this study include the time span over which it took place as well as the amount of factors taken into account to retrieve the appropriate data necessary to make the conclusion that a deficiency of vitamin D is related to asthma exacerbations and poor lung function. A final study conducted by Korn, Hubner, Jung, Blettner, et al. discussed how a deficiency of vitamin D affects how well-controlled the asthma is. This study was conducted on 280 adults with asthma and 40 people without it over a period of three years and two months between September 2008 and November 2011. All the participants in the study had to have written consent in order to partake in the study. The serum Vitamin D levels of the participants were measured between the hours of 8 am and 11am. In addition, the participant’s detailed history were taken into account. Lung function, exhaled nitric oxide and sputum samples were also measured and/or obtained on the same day that the serum Vitamin D levels were measured. Additionally, serum interleukin-10 was
From the electronic database searches, several articles were appropriate. The first, "Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis", was designed to find a relationship between Vitamin D and depression (Anglin, Samaan, Walter, & McDonald, 2013). Although, limited by the lack of random control trials, the data was presented in a uniform and consistent manner (Anglin et al., 2013). The results were in line with their goal, finding that low Vitamin D levels did correlate with increased depression (Anglin et al., 2013). Second, Meehan, and Penckofer, provided their inductive, exploratory opinion of "The role of Vitamin D in the aging adult" (2014). Although, the study was short and depression symptoms were self-reported, it, nevertheless, showed a correlation between low levels of Vitamin D and depression symptoms (Meehan, & Penckofer, 2014). The third article, "Vitamin D supplementation to prevent
Vitamin D plays a critical role in many normal bodily functions as well as fighting against a wide number of health barriers. In an article by Jacqueline Kanopa, studies revealed that exposure to ultraviolet rays play a huge part in Vitamin D production, as well as having preventative effects on a disorder known as rickets; which leads to weakened bones due to lack of Vitamin D. This study supports the belief that exposure to UV rays play a critical role in Vitamin D production, and can be beneficial to those prone to certain
Vitamin A and D have showed unexpected and crucial effects on immune system. Vitamin A includes innate immune towards microbial infection, absence of vitamin A can increase the chance of bacterial, viral, and parasitic infection. Also excessive intake of vitamin A Is associated with toxicity, including blocked hematopoiesis, mitogen-induced T-cell spread, antigen-specific antibody production, and an increased susceptibility to infectious organisms. Vitamin A is also given by Retinoid supplement to treat the skin effects of T-cell lymphoma. Vitamin C also known as Ascorbic Acid also contribute in innate immunity system, Vitamin C works during infection to prevent oxidative damage. Lower concentration of vitamin C in leukocyte is related to reduce immune response in humans. It has been proven that Vitamin C concentrations in the plasma and leukocytes rapidly decline during infections and stress. Iron chelators such as desferrioxamine inhibit the activity of phagocyte oxidase and reduce reactive oxygen intermediate-dependent killing of bacterial pathogens, both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, Zinc is a dietary trace mineral that is responsible for growth and development, and it is essential for the function of cells of the immune system. It increased susceptibility to
COPD, however, is an adult disease whose leading cause is long-term cigarette smoking. Airway inflammation with lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages is common in COPD (2), and remodeling of airways commonly occurs. While airway obstruction in asthma is usually reversible, there can be a fixed obstructive component, and in COPD, where there is usually a significant fixed obstructive component, there can be partial reversibility in airway obstruction (2). There are patients who present with an overlap syndrome with mixed features of COPD/asthma (2). COPD is also potentially preventable, if one avoids cigarette smoking, which often times is the primary cause. The most common recognized forms of COPD are chronic bronchitis, seen as bouts of coughing and severe
Estimation of the actual asthma prevalence in the elderly community is challenging, mainly because the elderly attribute the breathing problem with other causes including ageing. More so, there is difficulty with making definitive asthma diagnosis by providers, as they could label a condition as being asthma only, asthma and emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, among other possibilities. Hence, the end result likely creates underestimation of the actual prevalence of asthma among the elderly community (Jones et al., 2011). Notably, asthma in the elderly is still underdiagnosed and undertreated due to misattribution of symptoms and signs to other diseases common in the aged, such as COPD or cardiac disease, or acceptance of symptoms and limitations as a normal result of aging. With the elderly subjects, asthma might have a different pathophysiology than in childhood disease, subsequent from complex interactions with several factors including age-related lung and immune changes, epigenetic factors, environmental exposures, microbial triggers, or different comorbidities (Yanez et al.,
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 12 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with COPD. Many more may be affected and don’t know they have it. Its generality increases with age. Men are more likely to have the disease, but the death rate for men and women is the same (2014).
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects approximately 22 million people in the United States. Six million of those people are children, making it the most common chronic disease of children (“What is Asthma” and National 1). Asthma may be associated with morbidity, mortality, and diminished quality of life. Asthma is considered a long-term disease because there is currently no cure (Young). Further defining this disorder will be achieved by explaining the disease and symptoms, addressing how it is acquired, ways physicians diagnose it, and elaborating on treatments.
Since I have lacked to meet adequate amounts, I am at risk for certain deficiencies. Deficiency symptoms for vitamin A are fairly common and results in night blindness, eye disease, dry pimply skin, increased infections, and kidney stones. Deficiency symptoms for vitamin D include soft bones, soft teeth, and rickets, although it
Asthma and Allergy are accepted conditions that involve both genetics and environmental bothers (contributions). Also, this type of condition is a disease striking the cells of the human body’s immune system; however, it is inflammatory response to a normally
Critical roles that Vitamin D plays include the regulation of blood calcium, bone homeostasis, bone metabolism, cell growth and division, and adaptive and innate immune responses. Vitamin D in the form 1,25(OH)2D becomes functional by binding to a nuclear VDR and retinoid X receptor to control gene transcription. Pathology is caused by the dysregulation of T cell responses. When T cells are activated in a long-lasting and problematic way, immune mediated diseases happen. A sub-group of the T cells known as the regulatory T cells, or suppressor T cells, plays an important role in modulating the immune system, sustaining tolerance to self-antigens, and stopping autoimmune disease. When there is a deficiency of regulatory T cells, immune mediated diseases occur. As such, regulation of T cell response is critical to the healthy functioning of the body, and to prevent chronic activation of the T cells (Cantorna et al.
Synthesis reveals that athletes in countries that experience less sunlight are more likely to have vitamin deficiency compared to other athletes living in other regions, specifically near the equator. This finding is based on the identified relationship between sunlight exposure and vitamin D absorption. Likewise, Ogan and Pritchett determined that athletes that are not frequently exposed to sunlight suffers from the same risk as seen by the reviewed literature of their study. These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation should vary as athletes have different
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disorder (COPD) is a very prevalent disease in the world today with the most common cause being related to tobacco smoke. Not only is it associated with lung disease, but it has also been seen to be linked with many other comorbidities. However, the most concerning effect that COPD has on the body is towards the muscular dysfunction of skeletal muscle. Reasons, that are independent of lung function, that make this so concerning includes; an overall decrease in functional capacity, a poor quality of life, an increase in health care utilization, or even mortality. COPD has been linked to vitamin D deficiency. However, the effects of Vitamin D deficiency, pertaining to COPD, on skeletal muscle has
Vitamin intake is a commonly overlooked necessity in basic nutritional health. What most people do not know is that certain vitamin deficiencies can cause many health risks and problems. Many people believe that are getting all the vitamins they need from their diet, however most of the time they are not. One of the most common vitamin deficiencies is the low intake of Vitamin D. There are some vitamins that are produced by the body such as vitamin K; however some of the most important vitamins are not produced by the body. Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that our body needs to function correctly that is not naturally produced by the body. Vitamin D can be consumed through
It is not clear whether vitamin D supplements can reduce risk of severe asthma in all patients. The article mentioned that the risk of severe asthma is not fully understood. Most of the patients recruited for this supplement study had mild to moderate asthma; consequently, the data from this study needs to be interpreted with caution. The article clearly explains the approach to treat patients with severe asthma; however, the research group does not seem to have the right group of candidates to properly test the efficacy of their supplement.
As a means to tackle this issue, the ACLA wrote a letter to the Novitas Solutions Medical Policy Department. The ACLA is trying to provide input to the Novitas Solution, Inc. regarding the Local Coverage Determination draft since it does not cover Vitamin D testing in individuals with all known illnesses. The goal the ACLA has in mind is to bring the Novitas Solutions, Inc. coverage policies in line with professional society diagnoses and treatment guidelines. This way, the specific populations at risk for complications related to Vitamin D deficiency can get proper care through diagnosis and treatment.