Prevalence of diabetes in a cancer population in a Malaga hospital.

BACKGROUND: There are multiple risk factors for cancer, including obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes (DM). Hormon Insulin is a growth factor that promotes cellular differentiation. AIMS: The aim of our study is to observe impaired glycaemia in cancer population compared with control. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of diabetes (DM) and impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) in 374 patients with different types of cancer before treatment, by medical records in a Malaga hospital (Spain). We compared the prevalence of basal hyperglycaemia in these patients with general population, within an age range and by gender. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The prevalence of diabetes was 32.35% in our cancer patients. The comparison depends of age range, and by gender prevalence was: 45-54 years, DM: 40.91% in men cases, versus (vs.) 14.5% in men control (p = 0.005). 55-64 years, IFG: 23.08% in women cases, vs. 5.9% in women control (p = 0.001). 65-74 years, DM: 47.13% in men cases, vs. 25.4% in men control (p = 0.000), and IFG: 23.81% in women cases, vs. 9.5% in women control (p = 0.019). We found a higher prevalence of diabetes in specific types of cancer such as prostate (p < 0.005). Moreover, men had a higher prevalence of diabetes or less diabetes control than women in our cancer sample. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) for better diagnosis of possible DM in patients with cancer, and an appropriate treatment. It may be an independent risk factor for cancer to have decreased insulin activity, or DM.

[Evolution of nutritional biochemical parameters in hemodialysis patients during a one-year follow-up period]. / Evolución de parámetros bioquímicos nutricionales en pacientes de hemodiálisis durante un año de seguimiento.

Current high survival in hemodialysis patients (52% at 5 years) have made the chronic manifestations to emerge such as the high hyponutrition prevalence of these patients, as well as the importance of the nutritional status in their morbimortality. The reason for protein-caloric hyponutrition is multifactorial, although chronic inflammatory conditions associated to the dialysis technique are becoming more and more relevant. The variations in several nutritional biochemical parameters (total proteins, plasma albumin, transferrin, and total cholesterol) have been assessed in 73 hemodialysis patients for one year. The mean age of the patients was 53.3 +/- 18.69 years (43 males and 30 females). The average on hemodialysis program was 43 +/- 33 months, with a mean session duration of 246 +/- 24 minutes, and mean hemodialysis dose administered of 1.37 +/- 0.27 (KT/V) (second generation Daurgidas). A decrease in all the biochemical parameters assessed has been observed, with statistically significant differences: total proteins (p < 0.001), albumin (p < 0.00001), total cholesterol (p < 0.05), and transferrin (p < 0.01). The evolution of the nutritional biochemical parameters assessed showed an important nutritional deterioration of the patients remaining stable with the therapy.

[Nutritional assessment in a Moroccan university population during Ramadan]. / Evaluación nutricional de una población universitaria Marroquí en el tiempo de Ramadán.

The aim of this work was to assess nutritional status in Muslim population, bigger and bigger in our universities, in a period during which its dietary habits change considerably. The study has been performed in a population of Muslim students from the University of Granada, and has been compared to a non-Muslim population within the same setting. Study subjects undertook a questionnaire in which they reported the diet consumed each day during the Ramadan period. Macronutrient analysis for such diet was performed with Dietsource software. On the other hand, anthropometrical parameters were taken before and after the study period to observe their change and obtain conclusions on nutritional status. It has been observed that lipid intake of Muslims during the Ramadan period was excessive (48% of total energy), by decreasing hydrocarbons and particularly proteins. This is highlighted by means of the anthropometrical study, observing a decrease in measurements such as muscular area of the arm, the arm area, the muscle perimeter of the arm, and weight, with an increase in arm fat, perimeter of the arm, leg and mid-ieg circumference in the Muslim group, which are in contrast with parameters in the non-Muslim group. From our results, we may stress that during the Ramadan period macronutrient intake values are not appropriate as compared to standard recommendations in Spain. Besides, it is striking to observe how anthropometrical measurements related to fat increase whereas those related to muscular mass decrease.

[Longitudinal study on the body mass index (BMI) of dialysis patients]. / Estudio longitudinal del Indice de masa corporal (IMC) en pacientes en diálisis.

Chronic renal failure is commonly related to hyponutrition, affecting approximately on third of patients with advanced renal failure. We carried out a longitudinal study to assess nutritional evolution of 73 patients on a regular hemodialysis program, assessing changes in the anthropometrical parameter body mass index (BMI) and its correspondence to biochemical nutritional parameters such as total protein (TP) levels and serum albumin (Alb). Every three months plasma TP and albumin levels were collected and BMI was calculated by the standard formula: post-dialysis weight in kg/height in m2. For classifying by BMI categories, overweight and low weight were defined according to the WHO Expert Committee. Studied patients had a mean age of 53 years, 43 were male and 30 were female patients. BMI in women was lower than that in men (p < 0.001), as well as TP (p < 0.001) and Alb (p < 0.001) levels. Mean BMI was 29.3 kg/m2. Three point two percent of the determinations showed low weight, 12.16% overweight, and 83.97% normal BMI. TP were normal in 90.76% and decreased in 9.24%. Alb was normal in 82.2% and low in 17.78%. After the follow-up time (21.6 months, minimum 18 months, maximum 53 months), the Kruskal-Wallis test did not show a statistically significant change for BMI but it did show a change for the biochemical parameters albumin and total proteins (p < 0.05): nutritional impairment in CRF patients is manifested on biochemical parameters (TP and Alb) with no reflection on anthropometrical data.

[Nutritional assessment of a university population]. / Evaluación nutricional de una población universitaria.

In this work, we have planned to perform a nutritional assessment of a group of 50 students from the University of Granada, to which questionnaires have been administered relating to 24-hour remembrance of type and frequency of food consumption, for 30 days. In order to know macro- and micronutrients intake, the results have been analyzed with DietSource software. At the same time, anthropometrical measurements have been taken to verify their possible change during the study period. We have been able to observe a protein intake slightly higher than the recommended intake, similarly to what occurs with lipids. The studied group positively values menus with high content in meat, whereas deficiencies in fruit and vegetable intake are observed. In addition, there is a variation of anthropometrical measurements of these individuals during the study period. We also noticed a deficiency in some micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, cupper, selenium, vitamin E, and folic acid in all the studied population. However, vitamin C and thiamine levels in both groups and riboflavin levels in women may be considered adequate. From these results, we may highlight a nutrition unbalance in this population group since we have observed some deficiencies in the intake of important micronutrients for health maintenance and promotion, and macronutrient consumption that diverges from the established recommendations.

Application of artificial aging techniques to samples of rum and comparison with traditionally aged rums by analysis with artificial neural nets.

Artificial aging techniques were applied to samples of rum. These samples were then compared, by artificial neural nets, with traditionally aged rums. Analysis was based on the phenolic and furanic composition of each sample. There were found to be few statistical differences between samples, thus confirming the possibility of applying artificial aging techniques to obtain rum with phenolic and furanic characteristics that are similar to those of rum obtained by traditional methods.