Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation among Allergic Rhinitis Patients

Background and aim: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is thought to affect between 10% and 40% of people worldwide. Vitamin D influences nearly all immune cell types affecting both innate and adaptive immunity. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes among allergic rhinitis patients treated with vitamin D. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was carried out among 44 patients with persistent AR were included in the study and vitamin D insufficiency (10 to 20 ng/ ml) and. Patients were divided into study and control group. The study group was treated with vitamin D supplementation with antihistaminic, while the control group received antihistaminic only. Patients were evaluated using total nasal symptoms (TNS) score and quality of life (QOL) assessment. Results: Vitamin D supplementation led to a significant improvement in the TNS score as early as 2 weeks after treatment began, whereas improvement in the control group was not recorded until 8 weeks. The study group had a lower TNS score after 8 weeks of treatment compared to the control group (14.9 ± 3.9 versus 18.9 ± 2.9; p < 0.001). There was statistically significant improvement of QOL among patients of both groups, but the improvement was significantly better with vitamin D-treated patients after 2 and 8 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: For allergic rhinitis patients with low vitamin D levels, antihistamine therapy combined with vitamin D supplements can reduce relative symptoms with a notable improvement in clinical outcomes.