White fish reduces cardiovascular risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome: the WISH-CARE study, a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Reduction of cardiovascular risk with high consumption of fish in diet is still a matter of debate, and concerns about heavy metal contamination have limited consumption of oily fish. We aimed to evaluate the effect of regular ingestion of white fish on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: Multicenter randomized crossover clinical trial including 273 individuals with metabolic syndrome. An 8-week only-one dietary intervention: 100 g/d of white fish (Namibia hake) with advice on a healthy diet, compared with no fish or seafood with advice on a healthy diet. Outcomes were lipid profile, individual components of the metabolic syndrome, serum insulin concentrations, homeostasis model of insulin resistance, serum C-reactive protein and serum fatty acid levels. We found a significant lowering effect of the intervention with white fish on waist circumference (P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.014). A significant lowering effect was also shown after the dietary intervention with fish on serum LDL concentrations (P = 0.048), whereas no significant effects were found on serum HDL or triglyceride concentrations. A significant rise (P < 0.001) in serum EPA and DHA fatty acids was observed following white fish consumption. Overall adherence to the intervention was good and no adverse events were found. CONCLUSION: In individuals with metabolic syndrome, regular consumption of hake reduces LDL cholesterol concentrations, waist circumference and blood pressure components of the metabolic syndrome. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: White Fish for Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome Study, Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01758601.

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire in Spanish patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this study is to validate a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) used for general population in Spain, in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects with genetic diagnosis of FH were randomly selected from the Spanish FH Registry. They completed an FFQ based in 113 food items at inclusion (FFQ1) and after 1 year (FFQ2), and a 3-day dietary records (DR) every 3 months. Detailed instruction about how to register foods and beverages was given by a trained nutritionist. Each DR and FFQ was systematically coded, and the daily nutrients intake in absolute, percentage and nutrient density terms were estimated using a software system based on food composition tables. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated with correction-repeated measurements to assess the reproducibility of both FFQ and the four 3-day DRs, as well as the validity of FFQ comparing to the mean of 3 days' DR. RESULTS: A total of 112 subjects (58 females and 54 males, aged 43 ± 16 years) finished the study. There were no differences between FFQ1, FFQ2 and mean FFQ (FFQa) in mean absolute and percentage values of selected daily nutrients' intake. Comparison between FFQ1, FFQ2, FFQa and the mean of four 3-day DRs was statistically significant in all absolute values, but not in percentage or nutrient density terms. Corrected Pearson correlation coefficient ranged from 0.470 to 0.952 for mean values of all nutrients, except alcohol. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that FFQ is a reliable tool to assess the dietary pattern in FH patients.

Trends in adult home parenteral nutrition in Spain. 1992-2003.

UNLABELLED: There are very few data on trends in prevalence in home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in different countries. NADYA is the committee of the Spanish Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition that takes care of the Spanish registry since 1992. METHOD: A 12-year retrospective study of the activity of the registry was performed. The data were extracted from the NADYA's database as well as from the publications and abstracts reported on a yearly basis since 1992. Data on years 1993 and 1997-9 were not available. RESULTS: Yearly prevalence has more than doubled to 86 patients since 1992. The number of reporting centres went up to 17 in 2003 (10 centres in 1992) As an average, the number of patients per centre is 5. The prevalence in 2003 was 2.15 patients per million inhabitants. There are trends to increasing age at the time of the first indication (42 years in 1992; 51 in 2003). Ischemic and thrombotic vascular diseases were the most common underlying diagnosis in adults. Tunnelled central venous catheters were chosen in 2/3 of the patients. Only around 17% of the patients received support from home delivery companies (11% in 1992) There were more than 1 complication per patient and year, mostly HPN-related. CONCLUSIONS: We found a steadily increase in the number of reported patients and reporting centres over time. Prevalence went up to 2.15 patients per million inhabitants in 2003, still far behind the figures from other western countries. The NADYA registry allows a close follow-up of the evolution of HPN in Spain.

[Effects of parenteral glutamine in patients submitted to bone marrow transplantation]. / Efectos de la glutamina parenteral en pacientes sometidos a trasplante de médula ósea.

UNLABELLED: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a therapy used for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Associated chemotherapy and radiotherapy to which these patients are submitted induce secondary effects, with a high metabolic stress. Glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid, and has been shown effective in severe catabolic states. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy supplemented with glutamine on duration of nutritional support in a group of patients with BMT. We have also analyzed associated complications, the nutritional status, the clinical course at 6 months, differences as to type of transplantation, and oral ingestion capability. This is a phase IV, randomized, double blind, and parallel clinical trial, done at a single center. The study was performed on 49 patients, 29% male and 71% female patients, with ages between 21-63 years, distributed in 3 diagnostic groups (leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors), and admitted to the Hematology Department of our Hospital. Fifty percent of the patients in each group have received PN supplemented with glutamine (0.4 g/kg/day of L-alanine-L-glutamine), and the other 50% have received standard PN. RESULTS: we have not found significant differences nor at the beginning nor at the end of the study between both groups with regards to studied variables. CONCLUSIONS: PN is and effective therapy for maintenance of the nutritional status in patients submitted to a therapy with a, highly catabolic effect such as BMT. Although we have not been able to show the efficacy of glutamine supplementation in this study with the used dose, it does have been effective in other reports.

[The year 2003 National Registry of Home-based Parenteral Nutrition]. / Registro Nacional de la Nutrición Parenteral Domiciliaria del año 2003.

OBJECTIVE: To report the results of the Home-based Parenteral Nutrition (HBPN) registry of the NADYA-SENPE working group, for the year 2003. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gathering of registry data introduced by all units responsible of HBPN patient care. This an on-line registry available for authorized users of the working group web page (www.nadya-senpe.com). Epidemiological data, diagnosis, access route, complications, hospital admissions, disability degree, and course at December 31st, 2003 RESULTS: Data from 86 patients (62% female and 38% male) from 17 hospitals were gathered. Mean age of adult patients was 50.7 +/- 15.0 years, whereas for patients younger than 14 years was 2.4 +/- 1.5 years (n = 5 patients). Diseases that prone HBPN were neoplasm (21%), followed by mesenteric ischemia (20%), radiation enteritis (16.3%), motility impairments (10.5%), and Crohn's disease (4.6%). Tunneled catheters were used in 66.3% of the cases versus 29.1% of subcutaneous reservoirs. Mean treatment duration has been 8.5 +/- 4.6 months; 67.4% of patients had been on HBPN for a period of time longer than 6 months. Patient follow-up was mostly done from the reference area hospital (88.4%). In no case patient follow-up was done by the primary care team or by specialists other than those prescribing nutritional support. Nutritional support-related complications were seen in 98 occasions. The most frequent complications were infectious ones. They represented 1.60 hospital admissions per patient. The mean number of visits was 7.9 per patient (6.4 for scheduled visits and 1.5 for emergency visits). By the end of the year, we observed that 73.3% of the patients were still on the program, whereas in 23.3% HBPN had been withdrawn. The main reasons for withdrawal were decease (11 patients), and advancing to oral diet (9 patients). As for the disability degree, 13% were confined to a wheelchair or bed, and only 28% had no disability degree or only mild social disability. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a mild increase in HBPN prevalence rate in Spain (2.15 patients pmp). The main indication was cancer followed by short-bowel syndrome secondary to vascular pathology. Nutritional support-related complications were common, especially those of an infectious origin.

[National registry of Home Enteral Nutrition in 2003]. / Registro nacional de la Nutrición Enteral Domiciliaria del año 2003.

GOAL: To communicate the information available by the NADYA-SENPE Working Group from patients on Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) in our country during the year 2003. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were collected through a closed questionnaire included in the web site of the Working Group (www.nadya-senpe.com) available only by the authorized users. Variable included were: epidemiological information, the indication to prescribe this treatment, the access path, the specific nutritional formula used, the treatment duration, the complications and hospital readmission related to the nutritional treatment, the follow-up and the quality of life. RESULTS: We register 3,858 patients that belong to twenty-one hospitals. Mean age from those adults 66.2 +/- 18.9 years, and from those younger than 14, 6.0 +/- 4.3 years. Neurological and neoplasic diseases were the diagnostics more frequents (38.9% and 37.4%, respectively). Oral nutrition was the preferential rout used for the enteral nutrition (54.7%) followed by naso-enteral tube (26.6%), and only in 17.6% we used ostomy tubes. Polymeric was the enteral formula mainly utilized (80.1%). The mean time on HEN was 6.6 +/- 4.3 months; the 28.8% of patients stayed in the treatment for less than 3 months, 21.2 % between 3 and 6 months, and 50.0% more than 6 months. Patients were followed mainly by Nutritional Support Unit from the reference hospital (73.1%). While the reference hospital supplies the material (62.4%), reference hospital pharmacy (46.8%) and public pharmacies (32.0%) provides the enteral formula. Complications related to enteral nutrition included change of enteral tube (44.5%), gastrointestinal complications (30.5%), mechanical complications (21.7%), and the metabolic one (3.3%). These complications were followed by 0.02 hospitalizations/patient. At the end of the year, 54.7% of patients were in the HEN programme, and in 35.2 % HEN was finish due to accept oral conventional alimentation (49.2%) or by deceased of patients (40.9%). While 26.6% of the patients were confined to bed or armchair, 19.7 % no or light discapacity degree was observed. CONCLUSIONS: We found a persistence of these treatment in our country. Neurological and neoplasic diseases were the more frequent diagnosis in patients analysed. The high prevalence of cancer patients could be the main cause of oral access for enteral nutrition. Change of enteral tube was the more frequent complication observed during this treatment.

The effects of calcitonin on calcium uptake and respiration in rat-liver mitochondria.

The action of calcitonin on both the transport of calcium across the mitochondrial membrane and cellular respiration has been studied in the presence and absence of added phosphate. In the presence of phosphate, both the rate of calcium entry and the amount of calcium accumulated was stimulated by calcitonin, above a threshold concentration, in a saturable manner. In the absence of phosphate, calcitonin enhanced the rate of calcium entry, but had no appreciable effect on the levels of total calcium accumulated. The minimum concentration of calcitonin necessary to produce these effects was in all cases dependent on the external calcium concentration. Mitochondrial respiration was inhibited only at calcitonin levels much higher than those affecting calcium uptake. These results are consistent with the idea that the action of calcitonin is directly related to the mechanism of calcium uptake, and not to the respiratory process.

[Domiciliary artificial nutrition. Annual Report 1994. NADYA Group]. / Nutrición artificial domiciliaria. Informe anual 1994. Grupo NADYA.

The NADYA Group, integrated in the Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SENPE), and made up of professionals dedicated to Artificial Nutrition, and specifically, to Artificial Nutrition in the home, annually undertakes the task of collecting data on diagnosis, type of support, follow up characteristics, complications, and quality of life, of patients included in programs of at home artificial nutrition in Spain. In the Annual Register corresponding to 1994, 17 hospitality groups have participated, providing 369 patients with Home Enteral Nutrition, and 30 with Home Parenteral Nutrition. Home Enteral Nutrition is mainly applied in patients with neoplasias (36%) or neurological alterations (35%). The most commonly used access route in the nasogastric tube, although there is an observed increase in the application of Percutaneous Gastrostomies (21%) in relation to previous data of the Spanish population. There is an observed complications index of 0.07 episodes/patient-year, a mortality of 30% (neoplasias) and 20% (neurological alterations), and low rehabilitation indexes in this group. In Home Parenteral Nutrition, post-radiation enteritis, neoplasias, and mesenteric ischemia, are the main diagnostic groups. The majority of the patients have a tunneled tube (63%), with 37% using an implanted tube. With an index of hospitalizations of 0.83 hospitalizations/ patient-year, catheter septicemia justifies the majority of the re-hospitalizations derived from nutritional treatment (0.56 hospitalizations/patient-year), note the mortality of 37%. There are complete rehabilitations, continuing the previously normal activity in 80% of the cases.

[Intestinal transplant in patients with parenteral nutrition at home]. / Trasplante intestinal en el paciente con nutrición parenteral domiciliaria.

Failure of the intestine, whether due to functional or anatomical reasons, constrains Parenteral Nutrition Therapy in children or adults who, as a result of intestinal resections, alterations in motility, diseases of the microvilli or other reasons, present insufficient intestine to cover their needs in terms of nutrients and fluids. Nonetheless, the maintenance of support with parenteral nutrition at home in subjects with irreversible intestinal failure is not without life-threatening complications: liver disease, recurrent sepsis and loss of central routes recommend the assessment of the indication of intestinal transplant in this group of patients. The incidence of morbidity and mortality after intestinal transplant is greater than in other transplants (kidney, liver), but the long-term survival is around 50-60%. In Spain, 7 transplants (6 children and 1 adult) have been performed so far: 3 of intestine alone, 3 of liver plus intestine and 1 mutivisceral transplant. In 4 cases, the indication for transplant was due to terminal liver disease, with the remainder being due to the loss of venous access, intractable diarrhoea and intra-abdominal desmoid tumour, respectively. Except for one girl who presented severe rejection of the graft, the rest achieved digestive autonomy. One boy has presented lymphocyte neoplasia (PTLD) after 2 years and another died after the transplant as a result of a routine liver biopsy (with functioning grafts). Of the 38 patients assessed for transplant, 18 were considered as candidates and of these, three youthful candidates for hepato-intestinal transplant (with short intestine syndrome) have died while on the waiting list and a fourth in the operating theatre prior to an attempted multivisceral transplant. Intestinal transplants must not be considered as the last desperate therapeutic option in patients with permanent intestinal failure. The type of graft, clinical expertise and the use of new inducers (Sirulimos) all contribute to the results of this therapy, in which survivors remain free from parenteral support and can take up once more their day-to-day activities, can improve over time.

[Analysis of the results of treatment of obesity in the hospital outpatient department]. / Análisis de los resultados del tratamiento de la obesidad en consultas externas de un hospital.

The results obtained in the treatment of obesity in the out patient department of the Nutrition Unit of "La Paz" hospital during the first 6 years of experience were analyzed. To this end, different aspects of the treatment of obesity were studied in a successive manner. The first approach prospectively compared the results obtained with individual or group health care education (HCE); with no statistically significant differences being found. Before analyzing the results obtained with the different treatments, one notes a high rate of abandonment (65%). One sees that the global weight lost is statistically significant (7%). The amount of weight los differs depending on the degree of obesity (measured by the Body Mass Index): grade I and II obesities lost the same percentage of weight (7%), grade III lost 8% and grade IV is the grade that loses the most, 12%. Keeping in mind the treatment modality used, the results are as follows: both the diet alone and the diet in association with health care education in a group, achieve a weight loss of 7%, modified fasting yields 6%, adding drugs to the diet achieves a loss of 11% and the most effective is bariatric surgery with a loss of 18%.

[Evaluation of the quality of life in artificial nutrition]. / La evaluación de la calidad de vida en nutrición artificial.

If we define quality of life as being the social, physiological, mental intellectual, and general well being of people, we realize that there is no known health care system that is able to guarantee that well being in all its possible aspects. When we as clinicians assess the positive effects of a treatment applied to a patient, we are not only assessing the offered quality of life, but also the quantity of life, so what we are really assessing is the usefulness. We could say, therefore, that while the quality of life is subjective, not exact, and cannot be quantified, the usefulness on the other hand, can and should be measured and quantified, even though, as this is a subjective assessment, it is somewhat difficult to quantify. The object of our publication is to find an appropriate method for assessing this parameter in the area that concerns us: artificial nutrition. Artificial nutrition is indicated when the patient cannot does not want to, or does not know how to eat in the natural manner. Therefore, in principle it could seem inhuman and even unethical to deny a vital support measure that is practically without any risks in a patient who cannot feed him-or herself. However, in a situation of limited resources, if the treatment were inappropriate we should consider that possibility. Under these circumstances we could consider that even a concept as essential as nutrition (in this case artificial) would lose its inalienable character. In order to assess usefulness, one must include parameters that can be quantified in percentages and whose results can be set out in units of time (years, months, or days). We use the concept of the individual usefulness, whose unit of time is the QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Years). In 1996 we made a personal modification of Rosser's Index, which was specific for evaluating the quality of life obtained by means of artificial nutrition. This consisted of substituting the assessment parameters of intensity of pain, by other that are specific in function of the limitation of the ingestion capacity presented by the patient who was subjected to AN. The third factor that corresponds to the concept of usefulness would be the index of beneficial applicability percentage of patients who benefit from the support. The combination of these three factors, applicability, life expectancy, and quality of life, would yield the usefulness of the procedure. In order to assess usefulness in all its aspects, one must also define intention, as this can be applied with three goals: essential or curative, complementary or adjuvant, and maintenance or merely palliative. We can say that the economical limitations and the cost of the therapeutic resources leads to rationing by the administration. In the face of this action, we would recommend a rational and reasonable restriction of the available resources, which lead to the so-called rationalization, a term that is more correct ethically and esthetically, than rationing. As a final conclusion we could state that ethics and economics help us to use the resources appropriately, without any contradictions, as the economy attempts to give the society the greatest possible degree of well being based on the available resources, and that is an ethical objective, The quantification of the benefits obtained by applying a treatment using measureable units, involves socio-economic concepts such as usefulness, cost/benefit, quality of life, etc. should not elicit rejection as though we were dealing with a merchandising of our ethical values. We clinicians are capable of assessing this together, both with regard to the obtained costs and benefits, and with regard to the final results, both intra- and extra-hospital, and using the appropriate tools, we can reach conclusions that can guide us objectively in making decisions, with the aim of optimizing our therapeutic actions.

[Response of the intestinal mucosa to different enteral diets in situations of surgical stress and malnutrition]. / Respuesta de la mucosa intestinal a diferentes dietas enterales en situaciones de estrés quirúrgico y desnutrición.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: malnutrition and surgical stress is a relatively common association. At present, different enteral nutrition formulation are available, which are potentially applicable to different pathological conditions. The use of one diet or another may modify both the nutritional state as the intestinal structure and function. The objective of this study is to evaluate, in a malnutrition and surgical stress model in the rat, the effect of four enteral diets on the ponderal and structural evolution of the intestinal mucosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: adult Wistar rats weighing 230 g divided into four groups (n = 8/group), according to the enteral nutrition diet administered (elemental-elemental-028, polymeric with fiber-Enrich, peptidic with glutamine-Alltraq, and rich in arginine, fatty acids, and CO3 impact). All animals were subjected to an acute protein deficit for one week, and surgical stress consisting of the performance of a laparotomy. During another week the animals were fed with one of the four diets on a hypocaloric base of 195 kcal/week/rat, to maximize the effects of each diet, after which the animals were sacrificed. Determinations were made of body and intestinal weight variations, and samples were taken of the jejunum, ileum, and colon tissue. A histomorphometric study was conducted on these samples (crypt length and villosity). RESULTS: all groups lost weight in a similar manner with respect to the initial weight, with the exception of the animals fed with the polymeric diet with fiber, whose weight loss was even more marked. The intestinal weight was greater in those animals who received an arginine rich diet. In the jejunum and ileum samples the villus length was greatest in the group receiving a glutamine rich diet, with the length being shortest when fed with the elemental diet. The crypt depth showed as similar variation. In the colon, the greatest crypt depth was seen in the animals who received a fiber rich diet. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: diets rich in glutamine and arginine, as well as the elemental diet, are more efficient when it comes to maintaining body weight, although the latter is the one which maintains the small intestine weight the least, without there being a direct relation between these two parameters. The enriched diets are the ones which give the best results when it comes to maintaining body weight and mucosal mass. In the colon, the fiber enriched diet stimulate the growth of colonic mucosa.

[Our experience in the nutritional treatment of anorexia nervosa (1989-1991)]. / Nuestra experiencia en el tratamiento nutricional de la anorexia nerviosa (1989-1991).

The purpose of this study was to assess the evolution in the nutritional situation of patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in the Clinical Nutrition Service between January 1 1989 and December 31 1991. Twenty-eight admitted patients (4 men and 24 women) and 38 outpatients (3 men and 35 women) were monitored, with an age of 22.4 +/- 6.4 years and average evolution time of the illness of 3.8 +/- 5 years. Nutritional state was evaluated with anthropometric, biochemical and immunological parameters. Following nutritional therapy, malnutrition and BMI (Body Mass Index) improved significantly over the initial evaluation in all patients, whether admitted or outpatients. All anthropometric parameters improved significantly during the period of treatment of admitted patients, but AMC (arm muscle circumference) rose only in outpatients. An unrestricted diet plus nutritional counselling was the most-used therapeutic procedure in outpatients while most of the admitted patients required dietary supplements. Calorie malnutrition is very common in patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa: vitamin or trace element deficiencies are very infrequent. Nutritional therapy, suitably coordinated with psychotherapeutic treatment, is effective, enhancing both the nutritional state and anomalous dietary habits.

[Food consumption and the nutritional status of schoolchildren of the Community of Madrid (CAENPE): general methodology and overall food consumption. Consumo de alimentos y estado nutricional de la población escolar]. / Consumo de alimentos y estado nutricional de los escolares de la Comunidad de Madrid (CAENPE): metodología general y consumo global de alimentos.

The CAENPE study (Food Consumption and Nutritional State of the School Population) was a transversal observational study funded and promoted by the Directorate-General of Food Hygiene in the Ministry of Health, implemented in 1991-93, with the main aim of quantifying food consumption in the school population (6-14 years of age) in the Regional Community of Madrid, together with an anthropometric study and nutritional analysis of that population. This project sets our the General Methodology for the study, paying particular attention to the sampling design, to ensure that the sample is representative of the community, and the results of the overall consumption of food and its comparison with recommended diet and other population studies. Quantification shows a high and rising consumption of meat, meat products, sweets, snacks and prepared dishes, suitable consumption of eggs, legumes and fruit and a notable lack of greens, vegetables and potatoes. The basic results underline the need to introduce educational measures with practical effect on home and school menus.

[Subjective global assessment in neoplastic patients]. / Valoración global subjetiva en el paciente neoplásico.

As malnutrition is a common complication among patients with cancer, it seems necessary identifying it with simple tools. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) is useful to evaluate nutritional status on a basis of clinical parameters and can be used by any clinician with a basic training. Our intention is to determine usefulness of SGA applied by staff not working at Clinical Nutrition to guess if they identify properly malnourished patients. We included in our study thirty male and female patients with several types of active neoplasm who were being treated with chemo or radiotherapy. Oncology and Clinical Nutrition staff used SGA separately after the patients answered the form; there were also taken biochemical and anthropometrical determinations. Sixty-three percent of patient were diagnosed as malnourished or suspected being so by Oncologists, 30% by Clinical Nutrition staff and 26% by anthropometrical means. Incidence of malnutrition was low because the most common neoplasm among patients in the study was colorectal cancer. Oncologists tended to diagnose more cases of malnutrition due to a deficient training; nevertheless, SGA was useful because none of the malnourished patients was misdiagnosed and half of the well nourished patients were correctly identified as ones with no need for nutritional support.

[Standard formulas of parenteral nutrition. A study of their use in a general hospital]. / Fórmulas estándar de nutrición parenteral. Estudio de su utilización en un hospital general.

The goal of the study was to evaluate the use of parenteral nutrition formulas with standardized g. of nitrogen, carbohydrates and lipids, and to analyze whether the nutritional requirements of the patients treated in our hospital were covered by said formulas or whether it was necessary to change and/or standardize a new formula. To do so, a review was made of 5.646 parental nutrition mixtures prepared in the Pharmacy Service and patterned by the Nutrition Service from April, 1991, to May, 1992, for 308 adult patients. The distribution of the mixtures by services, diagnoses and the frequency of the different standard formulas were studied, comparing standard formula frequency with that of non-standard formulas. Findings showed that 41.9% of nutrition mixtures were patterned in surgery, and the most common diagnosis, cancer, appeared in 24%. Of the mixtures, 67.6% were preestablished formulas, and 32.4% were non-standard formulas. The order of frequency among standard formulas was: basic standard formulas, stress formulas, initial formulas, peripheral formulas, hemodialysis formulas and low-volume formulas. All covered the nutritional needs of a large share of the patients for the different pathologies in which they were indicated. Nevertheless the question of designing a new formula to cover a greater number of situations was raised. Protocolization should take place rationally, to meet the hospital's most frequent pathologies, and effectiveness should be evaluated after tracking and checking each patient.

[The consumption of commercial foods in childhood. The influence of a nutritional information program]. / Consumo de alimentos comerciales en la infancia. Influencia de un programa de información en nutrición.

In order to perform an in-depth study on food standards among school children and evaluate the effect of a nutritional educational programme on eating habits, an analysis was made of the data on the intake of foods over a period of 1,890 days, in 187 school children from 2 schools in the Leganés-Fuenlabrada area. The consumption of global and stratified rations was quantified based on age, commercial foods (buns, fried foods and sweets) accounting for a large part of the children's diet, as well as dairy products, vegetables, fruit and fish, representing basic foodstuffs supposed to form part of their diet. The consumption of these was compared in two stages, before and after receiving the educational programme. It was observed that there was an excessive consumption of foodstuffs considered as lacking in nutritional value (commercial), which increased with age and a lack of natural foods evaluated in their food standards. We also observed that the applied health intervention modified the consumption of these foods recently incorporated into the children's diet, without achieving results with regard to family eating habits.

[The effect of the customary intake of energy and nutrients on the nutritional status of schoolchildren 6 to 15 years old]. / Influencia de la ingesta habitual de energía y nutrientes en el estado nutricional de escolares de seis a quince años.

An investigation was performed with regard to the effect of consuming energy and energetic nutrients, cholesterol and fibre in 187 children aged from 6 to 15 years in the Leganés-Fuenlabrada Health Area (Madrid) on the build and nutritional state of the children. An excessive global intake of calories, total and saturated fats, cholesterol and proteins was observed, and a deficit of carbohydrates, with a corresponding loss of nutritional balance. It should be mentioned that 74% of the children studied could be considered normal from the nutritional standpoint, with 18% of overweight children and 8% of children suffering from malnutrition. The results also provided information on the effect of the consumption of energy and fats on the weight and obesity of the children, as well as the interesting relationship between the habitual intake of proteins and carbohydrates on the children's build.

[Results of nutritional treatment of anorexia nervosa: our experience (1989-1995)]. / Resultado del tratamiento nutricional de la anorexia nervosa: nuestra experiencia (1989-1995).

With the alm of evaluating the nutritional treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) in our center, evolutive data were collected, as well as anthropometric and biochemical parameters, of out out patient department (OPD) as well as of our hospital admissions (HA) which took place between 1989-91 (period A) and between 1992-95 (period B). 79 cases of HA were included (5 men, 31 women), with a duration of hospitalization of 36.96 +/- 22.02 days, with the reason for release most often (86.84%) being reaching the agreed upon weight, and 124 cases of OPD (12 men and 112 women), who were followed for 11.53 +/- 12.13 months achieving a final release rate of 14.14%. The nutritional status (NS) of the HA patients upon admission was most often sever caloric malnutrition (CM) (64.55%), and upon release this was moderate CM (60.75%), while in the OPD the moderate CM was most frequent at the initial visit and at the last visit registered. The anthropometric parameter which was most affected, was the triceps fold (TF), followed by the wight (W). The biochemical abnormalities were few, with hypercholesterolemia and ferropenia being notable. The nutritional treatment in the OPD required the addition of dietary supplements in 31% of the cases, and of psycho-medication in 43%. In the HA cases, only 6 patients reached the agreed upon wight with a free oral diet, and 35 patients required dietary supplements, 20 needed mixed therapy (enteral nutrition and supplements), and 17 cases required enteral nutrition through a naso-gastric tube. Significant multivariant models are presented which find independent associations for the probability of release (lower age upon diagnosis, male, lower income, absence of bulimia's, no need for dietary supplements), of amenorrhoea (worse NS, absence of vomiting), and for the HA time (more interventionist treatment, lower weight, lower age). The comparison between periods, shows an initial contact of the patients with AN with our OPD, with a better nutritional status y recent years, as well as a better nutritional result, a greater tendency towards the use of enteral nutrition, and a shorter time of HA.

[National Task Force on Home and Ambulatory Artificial Nutrition. NADYA. The NADYA Group]. / Grupo de Trabajo Nacional en Nutrición Artificial Domiciliaria y Ambulatoria. NADYA. Grupo NADYA.

When a patient needs parenteral or enteral nutrition, be it in a transitory way or as a permanent form, and hospitalization is not strictly required, this treatment should take place in the home of the patient whenever possible. The support with artificial nutrition can be equally efficient, improving the life expectancy ad the quality of life of patients who would otherwise be faced with a much prolonged hospital stay. The Ambulatory and Home Artificial Nutrition group (NADYA) is a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals, from different areas of the national territory, who are dedicated to Clinical Nutrition. With the objective of promoting health and well-being of patients undergoing treatment, and to ease the therapeutic activity of the implicated professionals, this group has developed a series of suggestions for the practice of enteral or parenteral nutrition in the home of the patient. These suggestions include specifications about the technical team, criteria for selection and training of the patients, routes of access, formulas and material needed, follow up characteristics, and associated complications, and the represent a consensus of the regulations necessary for the guarantee of an adequate level of security and efficiency of the at home care of patients who require artificial nutrition support.