Nutrition
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The hypothesis that antioxidant vitamins might reduce cardiovascular disease risk is based on a large body of both basic and human epidemiologic research. One of the most consistent findings in dietary research is that those who consume higher amounts of fruits and vegetables have lower rates of heart disease and stroke as well as cancer. Recent attention has focused on the antioxidant content of fruits and vegetables as a possible explanation for the apparent protective effects. ⋯ They do, however, raise the possibility that some of the benefits from observational epidemiology may have been overestimated and that there may be some adverse effects. At this point randomized trial data are not yet sufficient to fully assess the risk-to-benefit ratios for antioxidant supplements. More reliable data should be forthcoming in the near future which will better define the role of antioxidants in the primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease as well as cancer.
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Albumin and fibrinogen synthesis appear to account for the majority of protein exported by the liver and therefore make a substantial contribution to that of whole-body protein synthesis. However, data on the protein synthetic rates of albumin and fibrinogen in normal subjects are limited. Albumin and fibrinogen synthetic rates were measured simultaneously over a 120-min period in normal subjects (n = 6) by using a flooding dose of 2H5-phenylalanine. ⋯ In the context of the current interest in manipulating the inflammatory response of patients with various disease states, we introduce the concept of an acute phase protein quotient (APPQ). The APPQ is defined as the absolute rate of fibrinogen synthesis divided by that of albumin. In this group of normal subjects, the median APPQ was 0.14.