Nutrition
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The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the interaction between lipoprotein lipase (LPL) PvuII and HindIII haplotypes and carbohydrate intakes on the components of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) in Koreans. ⋯ This study suggests that P2H2 carriers in the highest carbohydrate intake tertile may be at risk for MetSyn because they had increased odds of excessive WC and high SBP.
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In critically ill patients, the optimal procedure to monitor upper gastrointestinal function is controversial. Several authors have proposed gastric residual volume (GRV) as a tool to guide enteral nutrition. The aim of this contribution is to briefly discuss corresponding studies. ⋯ For mechanically ventilated patients with a medical diagnosis at admission to the intensive care unit, monitoring of GRV appears unnecessary to guide nutrition. Surgical patients might profit, however, from a low GRV threshold (200 mL).
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous and devastating neurodegenerative disease with increasing socioeconomic burden for society. In the past 30 y, notwithstanding advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and consequent development of therapeutic approaches to novel pathogenic targets, no cure has so far emerged. This contribution focuses on recent nutritional approaches in the risk reduction and management of AD with emphasis on factors providing a rationale for nutritional approaches in AD, including compromised nutritional status, altered nutrient uptake and metabolism, and nutrient requirements for synapse formation. ⋯ Thus, these studies suggest that nutritional requirements in AD can be successfully addressed and result in improvements in behavioral and neuro-physiological alterations that are characteristic to AD. The recent advance of methodologies and techniques for early diagnosis of AD facilitates the investigation of strategies to reduce the risk for AD progression in the earliest stages of the disease. Nutrition-based approaches deserve further investigation as an integral part of such strategies due to their low risk for side effects and their potential to affect pathological processes of very early AD.
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Review
Indirect calorimetry: a guide for optimizing nutritional support in the critically ill child.
The metabolic response of critically ill children is characterized by an increase in resting energy expenditure and metabolism, and energy needs of the critically ill child are dynamic, changing from a hypermetabolic to hypometabolic state through the continuum of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. It therefore appears essential to have a precise evaluation of energy needs in these patients in order to avoid underfeeding and overfeeding, loss of critical lean body mass, and worsening of any existing nutrient deficiencies. However, there are no clear definitions regarding either the exact requirements or the ideal method for determining metabolic needs. ⋯ Although the standard use of indirect calorimetry is limited due to equipment availability, staffing, and cost, the accuracy of the commercially available devices continues to improve and the measurements have become more reliable and easier to perform. In the absence of sufficient data, prospective controlled studies need to be conducted in order to evaluate the benefit of tight calorie control achieved by accurately measuring the energy needs of the critically ill child. Optimizing measuring techniques could make this more feasible and decrease the need to rely on inaccurate equations while providing appropriate energy requirements.
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Intake of multivitamin preparations is very common in developed countries. However, excessive intake of vitamin A was associated with increased bone fragility. The aim of this study was to determine if chronic administration of the active metabolite of vitamin A all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in slight excess is associated with changes of bone turnover and density in intact and castrated mice. ⋯ Our results indicate that repeated administration of ATRA in slight excess leads to significant bone loss both in intact and castrated mice. This effect was more pronounced in testosterone-deficient animals. Testosterone deficiency as occurs following castration may sensitize the bone to resorption mediated by ATRA. Therefore, chronic vitamin A administration may be a risk factor for osteoporosis, especially in older and testosterone-depleted subjects.