From 2018, before all this mess started
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Vitamin D deficiency in acute respiratory distress syndrome | Dr Dhruv Parekh
Dr Dhruv Parekh explains his research on acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, and how it might be impacted by vitamin D deficiency. *Please see pinned comment for updates connected to coronavirus.*
ARDS is a life-threatening condition characterised by widespread inflammation in the lungs. Around 1 in 5 people who develop ARDS will die. While vitamin D is traditionally associated with calcium regulation, it also is involved in a range of other processes, including regulating antimicrobial compounds and apoptosis. There is also a connection between worse outcomes in critically ill patients and vitamin D deficiency, although it's unclear if the deficiency is a cause or an effect of ARDS.
Here, Dr Parekh explains his research investigating mechanisms behind the connection between ARDS and vitamin D deficiency, using animal experiments to investigate how vitamin D deficiency in mice affects response to infection, and how this might impact our future understanding of how ARDS is caused and may be treated.
Dr Dhruv Parekh is a Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Birmingham and an Honorary Consultant in Intensive (Critical) Care Medicine at University Hospital Birmingham.
He gave this presentation, "Vitamin D deficiency and bacterial load in a murine model of sepsis -induced lung injury", at the 2014 Academy of Medical Sciences Spring Meeting for Clinician Scientists in Training, which brought together 250 attendees from across the UK to discuss their research.
For more information about the Academy's Spring Meeting for Clinician Scientists in Training, visit
https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-sch...
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Note from the Academy: Dr Parekh is currently working on the frontline of the UK response to coronavirus, looking after patients in intensive care in and around Birmingham. He is therefore unable to respond to comments or provide updates, but we wanted to make some key points to ensure that people are relying on the best scientific information when thinking about how to protect themselves and their loved ones during the pandemic and beyond. The study summarised in this video is based on work done in mice. Results from mice do not necessarily translate into results in humans. There are currently no treatments proven to cure coronavirus (covid-19). All care (ventilation, oxygen) focuses on helping the person survive long enough for their body to push off the virus themselves. We continue to urge everyone to follow the key government advice which offers the most effective way to stop the spread: wash your hands, minimise social contact and stay home. In the words of our President Professor Sir Robert Lechler, "These measures are critically important if we’re going to get fully on top of this pandemic.”
