Does vitamin D administered to children with asthma treated with inhaled glucocorticoids affect short-term growth or bone turnover?

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The researchers utilized a randomized, double-blind, two-period crossover trial with run-in and washout periods of 2 weeks and treatment periods of 4 weeks duration.

The setting was an Outpatient clinic in a secondary referral center.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 14 boys taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were children and teenagers, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Because people in this Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Neither the boys nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some boys received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

Each person switched between Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

The setting was an Outpatient clinic in a secondary referral center.

Primary outcome measures were: lower leg growth rate, serum osteocalcin, and serum markers of type I collagen turnover, i.e., the amino terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), the carboxy terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) (formation markers), and the carboxy terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) (degradation markers).

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Inhalation, Asthma, Biomarkers, Bone Development, Bronchodilator Agents, Budesonide and Collagen Type I.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 14 boys.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2003 (Pediatric pulmonology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.