People with asthma may also be at greater risk for bone loss, called osteoporosis. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University examined data of more than 7,000 asthmatic individuals in South Korea and found that those with hyper-responsive airways (“twitchy lungs”) had lower bone mineral density in their spines.
The scientists could not say whether the asthma or the bone loss came first, or whether each was triggered by an independent but unidentified health factor. That might include lower levels of vitamin D that have been found in people with asthma. This study did not measure vitamin D levels.
Another factor that might be relevant is the use of inhaled steroids to treat breathing difficulty. These drugs are systemically absorbed and have been linked to fractures and bone loss.
[Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, online March 18, 2014]
Some people with reactive airways and asthma may actually be suffering from a hard-to-detect chronic lung infection called Chlamydia pneumoniae, or Chlamydophila pneumoniae. For these individuals (most of whom do not do well on standard asthma medications), treating the infection with long-term azithromycin can clear the airways and eliminate the need for inhaled steroids. Learn more by reading A Cure for Asthma? What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You–and Why, by Dr. David Hahn. (Published by People’s Pharmacy Press, 2013)
