Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
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Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. · Sep 2016
ReviewLarge-scale fortification of condiments and seasonings as a public health strategy: equity considerations for implementation.
Fortification of staple foods with vitamins and minerals is an effective approach to increase micronutrient intake and improve nutritional status. The specific use of condiments and seasonings as vehicles in large-scale fortification programs is a relatively new public health strategy. ⋯ Finally, specific considerations related to intersectoral action are considered. Large-scale fortification of condiments and seasonings cannot be a standalone strategy and needs to be implemented with concurrent and coordinated public health strategies, which should be informed by a health equity lens.
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Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. · Sep 2016
ReviewBetween GERD and NERD: the relevance of weakly acidic reflux.
Nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) is a common condition and the most frequent phenotype of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). NERD is extremely heterogeneous and includes patients with negative endoscopy but abnormal esophageal acid exposure and/or positive reflux-symptom association analysis (hypersensitive esophagus). This segregation is only possible owing to the use of impedance-pH monitoring. ⋯ The drawbacks of impedance-pH are mainly due to the day-to-day variability of the test and the fact that the accuracy of the symptom-reflux correlation scores is often far from perfect. Some histopathological characteristics, such as dilated intercellular spaces, can be helpful in distinguishing patients with NERD through esophageal biopsies. Patients with NERD in whom acid is the main pathogenetic factor respond successfully to proton pump inhibitor therapy, while those with hypersensitive esophagus to weakly acidic reflux could be treated with reflux inhibitors or surgery, although further controlled studies are required.