The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Vitamin D improves the response to steriods in asthmatics

    Patients with asthma experience a variable response to inhaled corticosteroids.

    Researchers from National Jewish Health, in Denver, Colorado studied the effect of vitamin D levels on this response.

    First, the details.

    • 54 nonsmoking adult asthmatics were studied.
    • The relationships between 25(OH)D (vitamin D) concentrations and lung function, airway hyperresponsiveness, and response to inhaled steroids were measured.

    And, the results.

    • Higher vitamin D levels were significantly associated with greater lung function, with a 21 mL increase in FEV1 for each ng/mL increase in vitamin D.
      • FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second) is the volume of air forced out of the lungs in 1 second after taking a deep breath. It’s an important measure of lung function.
    • Vitamin D insufficiency (less then 30 ng/mL) was associated with increased airway responsiveness (hypersensitivity to irritants).

    The bottom line?

    Low vitamin D levels were associated with impaired lung function, increased airway hyperresponsiveness, and reduced glucocorticoid response.

    The authors concluded, “Supplementation of vitamin D levels in patients with asthma may improve multiple parameters of asthma severity and treatment response.”

    Talk to your doctor.

    1/31/10 10:52 JR

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