Vitamin D no relief for COPD

Long held belief vitamin D helps prevents worsening of symptoms in COPD found untrue

The long held belief of high doses of vitamin D to help inflammation and reduce the amount of severe flare-up is actually of no use to provide any symptom relief.

This new report appears in the January 17th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, conducted at University Hospital Gathuisberg in Leuven.

For the study, Dr. Wim Janssens, from the respiratory division and associates had randomly assigned 182 patients with moderate to severe COPD to either take a high dose vitamin D pill or a placebo each month for one year and 150 patients did complete the study.

During that time researchers had observed the rate of flare-ups, hospitalizations, quality of life and cessation of life.

Within that year those who had taken the vitamin D had reported 229 exacerbation's of symptoms in total equaling an average of 2.8 exacerbation's for each patient. There was not a statically difference from the 239 exacerbation's or 2.9 each patient on a placebo.

Symptoms in which were severe enough to send patients to the hospital were 79 times during the study for those taking vitamin D and 73 times for those taking the placebo.

No difference had been found between the two groups in the length of time until patients had their first exacerbation or measures in lung function, fatigue or risk of death.

The study had found that among 30 patients who had severe vitamin D at the start of the study that had taken the vitamin D supplements did have less problems with symptoms. However, researchers did not plan to investigate that question at the start of the study and only had discovered it when taking a second look at the data making it difficult to tell what it means.

According to Dr. Ken Kunisaki, VA Healthcare System; Minneapolis stated that it would indicate that if there is any effect there could be something in patients with really low levels. However, he notes that is not a majority of patients with COPD. More research would be required to confirm if the vitamin is of any benefit in those with very deficient patients.

In closing Dr. Kunisaki stated "Unfortunately the results have been somewhat disappointing," Right now there's no evidence that patients with COPD are going to benefit from additional vitamin D."

Dr. Janssens did note that in spite of his team's lack of positive findings people with or without COPD should not ignore very low levels of vitamin D.

Dr. Kunisaki advises caution due to the fact researchers still do not know whether there are long term risks associated with taking high doses of vitamin D or other vitamins.

Meanwhile, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor of environmental health at Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Diane Gold, and is co-author of an accompanying editorial had stated “COPD ranks in the top ten causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Further noting that unfortunately COPD therapies other than stop smoking have limited effect in the reducing of COPD related deaths.

Conventional treatments may include broncholdilators, corticosteroids and oxygen therapy. If you have COPD stopping smoking is essential to your health and life.

Alternative therapies for COPD include:

Hypnotherapy to stop smoking which has shown to be effective and has over a 66% success rate. Hypnotherapy is used at some of the best hospitals in the nation and medical institutes.

Hypnotherapists will bring you into a relaxed state and provide you with a series of skills for coping with withdraw symptoms and the urge to smoke.

Literature reviews have found chiropractic spinal manipulations can provide help to those suffering from COPD.

A study in the journal of the American Osteopathic Association had found reductions of severe symptoms in persons with COPD who had undergone spinal manipulations.

Yoga just may ease those COPD symptoms. Published in the Journal of Therapeutics, appeared to the first study in the United States to examine the effects of yoga and the severity of COPD and symptoms.

Researchers from Chicago's Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine, had reported 22 patients with COPD had received six weeks of yoga based interventions that had included stretching and deep breathing.

Researchers had found that participant's COPD symptoms were milder after six weeks of yoga.

In or around Detroit:

Gloria Hypnosis

15403 Baylis Street

Detroit

313-397-1464

A & L Chiropractic Center (also has hypnotherapist)

24281 Middlebelt Road

Farmington Hills

248-477-3977

Innate Chiropractic

18700 Woodward Avenue