Nutrients
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Comparative Study
Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine as Indicators of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients with Gastric Cancer after Gastrectomy.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common complication in patients after gastrectomy. Elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine are better indications of vitamin B12 deficiency than vitamin B12 serum level. We compared MMA and homocysteine levels of patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy (n = 151) with controls (n = 142) and evaluated the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency using MMA and homocysteine in patients. ⋯ The median MMA level was higher in patients with post-gastrectomy compared to pre-gastrectomy, while the median serum homocysteine level was not significantly different. These results indicate that using serum vitamin B12 levels alone may fail to detect vitamin B12 deficiency. Additional assessments of MMA and homocysteine levels are useful to evaluate possible vitamin B12 deficiency in patients who underwent a gastrectomy, and MMA is a better indicator than homocysteine to detect early changes in vitamin B12 levels.
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The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern, which emphasizes fruit, vegetables, fat-free/low-fat dairy, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and limits saturated fat, cholesterol, red and processed meats, sweets, added sugars, salt and sugar-sweetened beverages, is widely recommended by international diabetes and heart association guidelines. ⋯ Current evidence allows for the conclusion that the DASH dietary pattern is associated with decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease and improves blood pressure with evidence of other cardiometabolic advantages in people with and without diabetes. More research is needed to improve the certainty of the estimates.
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Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim, a pear commonly known as "Sandolbae" in Korea, is used as a traditional herbal medicine for asthma, cough, and fever in Korea, China, and Japan. P. ussuriensis Maxim leaves (PUL) have therapeutic effects on atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there are no reports on the efficacy of specific components of PUL. ⋯ Filaggrin and involucrin protein levels were normalized by PULC treatment in HaCaT cells and skin lesions. These results indicate that PULC and astragalin ameliorate AD-like symptoms by alleviating both pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune stimuli in vitro and in vivo in animal models. Therefore, PULC and astragalin might be effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of AD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Postprandial Effects of Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) Consumption on Glucose Metabolism, Gastrointestinal Hormone Response, and Perceived Appetite in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial.
The consumption of blueberries, as well as the phenolic compounds they contain, may alter metabolic processes related to type 2 diabetes. The study investigated the effects of adding 140 g of blueberries to a higher-carbohydrate breakfast meal on postprandial glucose metabolism, gastrointestinal hormone response, and perceived appetite. As part of a randomized crossover design study, 17 healthy adults consumed a standardized higher-carbohydrate breakfast along with 2 treatments: (1) 140 g (1 cup) of whole blueberries and (2) a placebo gel (matched for calories, sugars, and fiber of the whole blueberries). ⋯ Results show that glucose metabolism, several gastrointestinal hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), peptide YY (PYY) concentrations and perceived appetite did not change significantly with blueberry consumption. However, pancreatic polypeptide (PP) concentrations were statistically significantly higher (p = 0.0367), and the concentrations were higher during 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after consumption of the blueberry breakfast meal than the placebo breakfast meal. Additional research is needed to determine whether blueberries and other flavonoid-rich foods reduce type 2 diabetes risk by modifying gastrointestinal hormones and perceived appetite.
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Review
Iron Treatment May Be Difficult in Inflammatory Diseases: Inflammatory Bowel Disease as a Paradigm.
Iron plays a key role in many physiological processes; cells need a very exact quantity of iron. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, anaemia is a unique example of multifactorial origins, frequently being the result of a combination of iron deficiency and anaemia of chronic disease. The main cause of iron deficiency is the activity of the disease. ⋯ Oral iron can only be used in patients with mild anaemia, whose disease is inactive and who have not been previously intolerant to oral iron. Intravenous iron should be the first line treatment in patients with moderate-severe anaemia, in patients with active disease, in patients with poor tolerance to oral iron and when erythropoietin agents or a fast response is needed. Erythropoietin is used in a few patients with anaemia to overcome functional iron deficiency, and blood transfusion is being restricted to refractory cases or acute life-threatening situations.