A Breath of Hope

Asthma is one of the fastest growing diseases of the modern world. In the UK alone some 5.2 million people are affected by the illness and in many countries it is the single largest contributor to work/school days lost.

For the majority of sufferers the condition is little more than an inconvenience – but for some it is life threatening. Patients who don’t respond to steroid treatment suffer repeated asthma attacks, and are at greater risk of dying from the condition. 

Now King’s College London researchers, based at the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, have found that vitamin D3 could substantially improve the responsiveness of these patients to steroid treatment – at last offering them hope of an improvement in their condition.

Footage:

• Laboratory research
• Asthma sufferer and standard treatments

Interviews:

• Dr Catherine Hawrylowicz, King's College London
• Dr Chris Corrigan, King's College London
• Dr Lyn Smurthwaite, Asthma UK
• Mr David Cunningham, patient with asthma