Vitamin D may have a protective effect against the damaging effects of smoking on lung function, according to new research.
The study found smokers who have low levels of the “sunshine vitamin” have worse lung function and experience a more rapid respiratory decline over time.
The findings, published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, suggest vitamin D's well-known anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties may confer a significant health benefit to tobacco users.
Lead researcher Dr. Nancy E. Lange, of the Channing Laboratory of Brigham and Women's Hospital, said the study tracked the relationship between vitamin D deficiency, smoking, and the rate of lung function decline over a 20-year period in 626 adult white men.
"We found that vitamin D sufficiency had a protective effect on lung function and the rate of lung function decline in smokers," she said. "Our results suggest that vitamin D might modify the damaging effects of smoking on lung function.”
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Lange and colleagues tracked vitamin D levels and lung function in the men at three different time points between 1984 and 2003. She said future studies should examine whether vitamin D can also protect against lung damage from other sources, such as air pollution.
"While these results are intriguing, the health hazards associated with smoking far outweigh any protective effect that vitamin D may have on lung function," noted Dr. Alexander C. White, chair of the American Thoracic Society's Tobacco Action Committee. "First and foremost, patients who smoke should be fully informed about the health consequences of smoking and in addition be given all possible assistance to help them quit smoking."