Baseline Vitamin D as a predictor of mortality among hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in an endemically Vitamin D-deficient area in North India

Background: Conflicting data suggest that Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD exacerbations. Scant data are available regarding the Vitamin D status in patients with COPD in India where Vitamin D deficiency is rampant. Objectives: We set out to study the role of baseline Vitamin D on the outcome of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) in terms of exacerbations, hospitalizations, and mortality. Materials and Methods: In a prospective observational design, 147 consenting participants with AECOPD were recruited and serum Vitamin D assessed at admission. The patients were followed for 3 months for treatment outcomes in terms of mortality, readmissions and exacerbations. Standard statistical methods were used to compare the results among those with sufficient and insufficient Vitamin D status at baseline. Results: Out of 147 completely followed participants, 113 (76.9%) were deficient in Vitamin D (mean +/- standard deviation = 11.79 +/- 8.5 [normal 30-100 ng/ml]). Patients with low Vitamin D were found to have a significantly higher 90-day mortality than those with normal Vitamin D status (P = 0.42; hazard ratio 4.8, P = 0.032). No statistically significant differences were observed in rates of exacerbations or hospital admission. Conclusion: Patients of AECOPD having baseline Vitamin D deficiency at admission have a higher mortality than those with normal Vitamin D level. Thus, Vitamin D level can serve as a prognostic indicator of the outcome of AECOPD. Larger studies are suggested to further study the association and also determine any role of Vitamin D in the treatment of such cases.