Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that vitamin D deficiency may be linked with poor lung function in children with asthma, the Vitamin D Council reported on its web site today.

According to the Vitamin D Council, the study examined 1,024 participants from the Childhood Asthma Management Program who had persistent asthma and were currently being treated with inhaled corticosteroids. At the time of enrollment, the participants vitamin D blood levels were assessed. The children were organized in groups based on their recorded D levels; vitamin D sufficient (>30 ng/ml), insufficient (20-30 ng/ml), and deficient (<20 ng/ml).

The researchers found that, when compared to the other two groups, participants in the deficient group were more likely to have worse pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume (FEV1) scores after treating with corticosteroids for 12 months.

Click here to read the Vitamin D Council’s report.