Nutrition
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Malnourished patients suffer from higher morbidity and mortality rates than well-nourished patients do. However, few studies have controlled the outcomes for the underlying illnesses. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among patients admitted to the internal medicine ward and to determine whether malnutrition is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in these settings. ⋯ The prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients, as measured by the MUST score, is common. Malnutrition is prevalent and represents an independent and significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality and increased length of stay in patients admitted to the internal medicine ward.
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Comparative Study
High-sugar intake does not exacerbate metabolic abnormalities or cardiac dysfunction in genetic cardiomyopathy.
A high-sugar intake increases heart disease risk in humans. In animals, sugar intake accelerates heart failure development by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) can fuel ROS production by providing reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) for superoxide generation by NADPH oxidase. Conversely, G6PD also facilitates ROS scavenging using the glutathione pathway. We hypothesized that a high-sugar intake would increase flux through G6PD to increase myocardial NADPH and ROS and accelerate cardiac dysfunction and death. ⋯ A sugar-enriched diet did not exacerbate ventricular function, metabolic abnormalities, or survival in heart failure despite an increase in superoxide production.
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Diabetes during pregnancy increases the incidences of congenital anomalies, morbidity, and mortality in the mother and her fetus/newborn. Oxidative stress (OS) has been implicated to be responsible because various antioxidants have been demonstrated to be beneficial in diabetic embryopathy. In this study, we examined the propensity of Tinospora cordifolia (TC) to attenuate embryopathy and OS in pregnant diabetic rats. ⋯ These data suggest that TC during pregnancy may provide significant protection against diabetes-induced OS and thus serve as an effective therapeutic supplement.
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Dynapenia (pronounced dahy-nuh-pē-nē-a, Greek translation for poverty of strength, power, or force) is the age-associated loss of muscle strength that is not caused by neurologic or muscular diseases. Dynapenia predisposes older adults to an increased risk for functional limitations and mortality. ⋯ This review highlights in the contributors to dynapenia and the etiology and risk factors that predispose individuals to dynapenia. In addition, we address the role of nutrition in the muscular and neurologic systems for the preservation of muscle strength throughout the life span.