Does Vitamin D₃ Supplementation Improve Cardiac Autonomic Nerve Function in Vitamin D₃ Deficient Asthma COPD Overlap (ACO) Patients? A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Cardiac autonomic nerve dysfunction has been found associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients as well as vitamin D₃ deficient patients. Heart rate variability (HRV), one of the markers of cardiac autonomic nerve function which is reduced in Asthma COPD overlap (ACO) patients. Sympathovagal balanced was improved in healthy subjects after administration of vitamin D₃. This randomized clinical trial aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of vitamin D₃ supplementation on non linear measures of HRV in 60 male vitamin D₃ deficient (<30 - 10 ng/ml) ACO patients. Patients were given orally either vitamin D₃ capsule or placebo per week for 6 months and serum vitamin D₃ level and non linear measures of HRV were assessed before and after intervention. HRV was measured by power lab 8/35, AD instruments and vitamin D₃ was assessed by chemiluminescent micro-particle immunoassay (CMA) method by auto analyzer. For statistical analysis paired sample 't' test and independent sample 't' test were done. Before intervention vitamin D₃ level and non linear parameters of HRV were similar in all patients but both these outcome measures significantly increased in vitamin D₃ treated but not in placebo treated patients after 6 months. In conclusion, vitamin D₃ supplementation is effective to improve HRV in vitamin D₃ deficient ACO patients.