Vitamin D status in relation to nutritional depletion and muscle function in patients with advanced pulmonary disease

Exp Lung Res. 2009 Aug;35(6):524-38. doi: 10.1080/01902140902763193.

Abstract

Muscle weakness is an important complication of advanced pulmonary disease and it is associated with reduced functional activity and lower survival. Vitamin D may be involved in muscle function. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants of calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, the major circulating indicator of vitamin D) status and associations between vitamin D metabolites and muscle function in relation to nutritional depletion. Fifty-two percent of the underweight patients (n = 42) and 55% of the normal-weight ones (n = 29) had vitamin D deficiency (< 37.5 nmol/L). The resulting models of linear regression showed that, for the calcidiol model, 24.7% of the variation for calcidiol was explained by fat mass index, vitamin D intake, and FEV(1)/FVC. The results further suggested that vitamin D intake was a stronger predictor of calcidiol status in the underweight patients than in the normal-weight ones. In the resulting models for 6-minute walking distance, calcidiol was a significant predictor, which tended to be more marked in the underweight patients than in the normal-weight ones. Low serum calcidiol concentration was associated with fat mass, lung obstruction, and low intake of vitamin D, especially in the underweight patients, and calcidiol was a predictor of walking distance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Calcifediol / blood
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Forced Expiratory Volume
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Malnutrition / complications*
  • Malnutrition / metabolism*
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Weakness / etiology*
  • Muscle Weakness / metabolism
  • Muscle Weakness / physiopathology*
  • Nutritional Status
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / complications*
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / physiopathology*
  • Thinness / complications
  • Thinness / metabolism
  • Vital Capacity
  • Vitamin D / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin D / metabolism*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / complications
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / metabolism
  • Walking

Substances

  • Vitamin D
  • Calcifediol