Vitamin D deficiency in acute respiratory distress syndrome | Dr Dhruv Parekh

Dr Dhruv Parekh explains his research on acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, and how it might be impacted by vitamin D deficiency. *Please see pinned comment for updates connected to coronavirus.*

ARDS is a life-threatening condition characterised by widespread inflammation in the lungs. Around 1 in 5 people who develop ARDS will die. While vitamin D is traditionally associated with calcium regulation, it also is involved in a range of other processes, including regulating antimicrobial compounds and apoptosis. There is also a connection between worse outcomes in critically ill patients and vitamin D deficiency, although it's unclear if the deficiency is a cause or an effect of ARDS.

Here, Dr Parekh explains his research investigating mechanisms behind the connection between ARDS and vitamin D deficiency, using animal experiments to investigate how vitamin D deficiency in mice affects response to infection, and how this might impact our future understanding of how ARDS is caused and may be treated.

Dr Dhruv Parekh is a Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Birmingham and an Honorary Consultant in Intensive (Critical) Care Medicine at University Hospital Birmingham.

He gave this presentation, "Vitamin D deficiency and bacterial load in a murine model of sepsis -induced lung injury", at the 2014 Academy of Medical Sciences Spring Meeting for Clinician Scientists in Training, which brought together 250 attendees from across the UK to discuss their research.

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Note from the Academy:

Dr Parekh is currently working on the frontline of the UK response to coronavirus, looking after patients in intensive care in and around Birmingham. He is therefore unable to respond to comments or provide updates, but we wanted to make some key points to ensure that people are relying on the best scientific information when thinking about how to protect themselves and their loved ones during the pandemic and beyond.

The study summarised in this video is based on work done in mice. Results from mice do not necessarily translate into results in humans. There are currently no treatments proven to cure coronavirus (covid-19). All care (ventilation, oxygen) focuses on helping the person survive long enough for their body to push off the virus themselves.

We continue to urge everyone to follow the key government advice which offers the most effective way to stop the spread: wash your hands, minimise social contact and stay home. In the words of our President Professor Sir Robert Lechler, "These measures are critically important if we’re going to get fully on top of this pandemic.”

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[mreverybody]

Notice how everyone is told to stay at home, but never told to supplement with vitamin D3....really let that sink in.

[canadianvegetable]

Take both vitamin D and vitamin C. There are boatloads of research supporting them... one just has to look.

[Techado]

i have been talking about this in my channel for the last 5 days, that vitamin -d has a role in active lung injury and now this topic comes up ..

[MrMK]

Check out study done on homeless people too. Very few had severe symptoms of Covid when sampled. And what do homeless people get a lot more of than the average person?!

[edithnell]

Interesting. I wondered if Vit D had something to do with the Covid problem, because the northern hemisphere is just recently coming out of winter. New Zealand has had only 5 deaths to date out of about 1300 cases. New Zealand has just had an unusually long and sunny summer. Credit is being given to extreme lockdown. Not discounting that, but higher than normal Vit D level in the population is very likely playing a part.

[mikeharrington]

Thanks. Obviously this topic has risen to the fore with Coronavirus & it's ARDS progression in severe cases.

[hoaluong]

2000mg C, 5000iu D, 15-30mg Zinc, 1mg copper daily will strengthen your immune system

[ramatgan]

I have taken 4000iu every day for years now and touchwood. I feel perfectly find. I told all my friends and families to take it. It can't hurt.

[phubblewubbphubblewubb]

I control my asthma with 50, 000iu vitamin D daily plus 150mg Oil of Oregano. I recently mentioned this to my English doctor, who was utterly amazed. The NHS really are caveman doctors, need to get up to speed with natural treatments, stop the poisonous drugs which can actually cause lung degeneration.

[shaykearney]

Great presentation. Pity regular gp's are by and large not familiar with the role of vitamin D and the immune system. Genetic diversity such as VDRtak warrants further investigation in cases of chronic vitamin d deficiency. Safety and efficacious dose is also not generally understood resulting in very low values being recommended.

[davebellamy]

Great talk. "No more torturing!" with questions. Yes. He did really well. I couldn't handle that sort of thing, I don't think. This has now become amazingly relevant!! Glad he has his fully deserved doctorate!!

[TooSlowTube]

BMJ 2017 respiratory infections research :

"Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data"

[Rad_B_OLand]

Due to the fact that there are cells lining the nasal and respiratory passages that can activate vitamin D do you think that nebulizing vitamin D directly into the nasal and lungs could be a treatment for ARDS?

[balerd]

besides hydroxychloroquine, Zn, Selenium, N-acetylcystein, also must be vit D deficient patients proceed to ARDS, so who knows, supplementing vit D earlier might prevent their progression to ARDS 🤔🙏🏽 please share this with the doctor/s who wrote about their experience working with covid19 patients

[timjosling]

Great talk. This is a man to watch - I expect great things.

[jean-pierredevent]

I believe not much in pill supplements unless it would be good cod liver oil which does give good absorption. But exposition of body to the warming but not burning sun for a twenty minutes works well although it takes a day or two for the body to respond fully. Too much sun at once though depresses on the other hand the immune system, I think. Imho, the scientists forget the other effects of sunlight on the body, it's not all about that vitamin D and that's why a little sunlight works better.

[rhiconic]

Number one reason to stop taking statins.

[wendajones]

Since I’m not any time soon going to the docs to test my vitamin D levels (corona time) anyone here know how much vitamin d to take (I live in Sweden, near Stockholm)? The vitamin d tablets I take now are 25 micrograms (1000 iu)

[RoyalSnowbird]

FANTASTIC LECTURE ! COVID-19 is a high-risk for ARDS.