Recherche en gérontologie et en gériatrie

Abstrait

High Dose Vitamin D3 Improves Exercise Tolerance in Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,

Mehrnaz Asadi Gharabaghi, Mehrnoush Asad Ghrabaghi, Mohsen Arabi, Mohammad Reza Zahedpour Anaraki and Gholamreza Derakhshan Deilami

Background: In addition to airflow limitation, peripheral muscle dysfunction is a limiting factor in physical performance of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Any measure to improve global muscle function in COPD patients such as vitamin D replacement seems to enhance exercise tolerance of these patients.

Aim: The aim of present study was to study the effect of vitamin D replacement therapy on exercise tolerance of a group of stable COPD patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.

Methods: It was an experimental, unblended open-label trial. A total number of 25 stable COPD patients were enrolled in the study in the period between March 2012 and OCT 2012 and received 50,000 IU vitamin D weekly for 4-8 weeks in addition to their standard medical therapy as before. They were also subdivided into two subgroups based on serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D,25(OH)D( <10 ng/ml and 10-30 ng/ml). Pulmonary function tests, six-minute walk distance test(6MWD) were measured at baseline and three months after the enrollment.

Results: By the end of study, there was significant improvement in the distance walked during 6-minute walk test. This improvement was documented in both subgroups of patients. However, the perceived dyspnea during test did not differ from baseline value by the end of the study. Also, only patients with serum 25(OH) D, 10 -30 ng/ml showed the significant increase in their mean value of FEV1 by the end of the study.

Conclusion: Vitamin D replacement therapy is an effective measure to improve exercise tolerance of stable COPD patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.