“We analyzed the relationship between vitamin D deficiency, smoking, lung function and an indicator of the decline in their efficiency. It took over 20 years. The cohort consisted of 626 mature men from Normative Aging Study”Says Dr. Nancy E. Lange of the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Each gentleman had his vitamin D levels measured three times (between 1984 and 2003) as well lung function using spirometry. Studies have shown that an adequate amount of vitamin in the blood serum (above 20 ng / ml) has a protective effect on the lungs. The analysis, however, contains shortcomings, including but not limited to the fact that nutrient levels fluctuate constantly and that the cohort was only elderly people. The results were published online before they appeared in print in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. If the data are confirmed in subsequent studies, they will prove crucial for public health. Next analysis should take into account as well the effect of vitamin D on lung damage caused by other factors, e.g. air pollution. “Intriguing as these results are, the lung health risks of smoking far outweigh the protective effects of vitamin D,” notes Dr. Alexander C. White (American Thoracic Society’s Tobacco Action Committee).
2022-11-10