Vitamin D may play role in anaphylaxis

New findings show that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk for anaphylaxis. The study, "Regional Differences in EpiPen Prescriptions in the United States: The potential role of vitamin D," appears in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and used the number of EpiPen prescriptions written in 2004 for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. New England states had the highest number of EpiPen Rxs, with eight to 12 per 1,000 persons, and the Southern states had only three prescriptions per 1,000. The highest and lowest states were Massachusetts and Hawaii, with 11.8 and 2.7 EpiPen Rxs per 1,000 persons, respectively. Researchers speculate that lower vitamin D levels from less sunlight could be a possible explanation for the geographic differences in anaphylaxis.

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