An Evaluation of Alternative Technology-Supported Counseling Approaches to Promote Multiple Lifestyle Behavior Changes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Although technology-supported interventions are effective for reducing chronic disease risk, little is known about the relative and combined efficacy of mobile health strategies aimed at multiple lifestyle factors. The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of technology-supported behavioral intervention strategies for managing multiple lifestyle-related health outcomes in overweight adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, adults with excess body weight (body mass index ≥27 kg/m2, age ≥40 years), T2D, and CKD stages 2-4 were randomized to an advice control group, or remotely delivered programs consisting of synchronous group-based education (all groups), plus (1) Social Cognitive Theory-based behavioral counseling and/or (2) mobile self-monitoring of diet and physical activity. All programs targeted weight loss, greater physical activity, and lower intakes of sodium and phosphorus-containing food additives. RESULTS: Of 256 randomized participants, 186 (73%) completed 6-month assessments. Compared to the ADVICE group, mHealth interventions did not result in significant changes in weight loss, or urinary sodium and phosphorus excretion. In aggregate analyses, groups receiving mobile self-monitoring had greater weight loss at 3 months (P = .02), but between 3 and 6 months, weight losses plateaued, and by 6 months, the differences were no longer statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: When engaging patients with T2D and CKD in multiple behavior changes, self-monitoring diet and physical activity demonstrated significantly larger short-term weight losses. Theory-based behavioral counseling alone was no better than baseline advice and demonstrated no interaction effect with self-monitoring.

Assessment of Nutrient Status in Athletes and the Need for Supplementation.

Nutrition assessment is a necessary first step in advising athletes on dietary strategies that include dietary supplementation, and in evaluating the effectiveness of supplementation regimens. Although dietary assessment is the cornerstone component of the nutrition assessment process, it should be performed within the context of a complete assessment that includes collection/evaluation of anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and environmental data. Collection of dietary intake data can be challenging, with the potential for significant error of validity and reliability, which include inherent errors of the collection methodology, coding of data by dietitians, estimation of nutrient composition using nutrient food tables and/or dietary software programs, and expression of data relative to reference standards including eating guidance systems, macronutrient guidelines for athletes, and recommended dietary allowances. Limitations in methodologies used to complete anthropometric assessment and biochemical analysis also exist, as reference norms for the athlete are not well established and practical and reliable biomarkers are not available for all nutrients. A clinical assessment collected from history information and the nutrition-focused physical exam may help identify overt nutrient deficiencies but may be unremarkable in the well-trained athlete. Assessment of potential food-drug interactions and environmental components further helps make appropriate dietary and supplement recommendations. Overall, the assessment process can help the athlete understand that supplement intake cannot make up for poor food choices and an inadequate diet, while a healthy diet helps ensure maximal benefit from supplementation. Establishment of reference norms specifically for well-trained athletes for the nutrition assessment process is a future research priority.

Nutrition Assessment of B-Vitamins in Highly Active and Sedentary Women.

BACKGROUND: Female athletes and active women require adequate nutrition for optimal health and performance. Nutrition assessments are needed to identify potential nutrients of concern. Folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 function in important pathways used during physical activity and female athletes may be at risk for poor status of these micronutrients. This cross-sectional study described a comprehensive nutrition assessment of the B-vitamins (folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) using both dietary (food and dietary supplements) and biochemical assessments among highly active and sedentary women. METHODS: Highly active (n = 29; age 20 ± 2 years; body mass index (BMI) 23.8 ± 3.5 kg/m²) and sedentary (n = 29; age 24 ± 3 years; BMI 22.6 ± 3.0 kg/m²) women were recruited for this study. Participants completed 7-day weighed food records and a fasting blood draw. RESULTS: Although the highly active women reported higher intakes of energy (p < 0.01), folate (p < 0.01), vitamin B6 (p < 0.01), and vitamin B12 (p < 0.01), no significant differences were found between the groups for biomarkers of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. All of the highly active women had biomarkers within the desired reference ranges, suggesting good status. In general, most participants were able to meet the 1998 Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) from food alone. For the women that reported using dietary supplements, micronutrient intakes met the 1998 RDA and in some cases, exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level. CONCLUSION: This nutrition assessment documented good status for folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in the highly active women. Similar assessment approaches (food, dietary supplements, and biomarkers) should to completed with other nutrients of concern for the female athlete.

Availability of Outpatient Clinical Nutrition Services for Patients With Cancer Undergoing Treatment at Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

PURPOSE: The mission of US Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) is to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. The type of clinical nutrition services available to outpatients seeking treatment at CCCs is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and types of outpatient clinical nutrition services available at CCCs. METHODS: A list of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) -designated CCCs was compiled. A telephone survey that queried clinical nutrition services available to outpatients undergoing treatment was developed. The survey was conducted with clinical nutrition personnel during usual working hours between April and October 2012. RESULTS: Of the 40 CCCs, 32 (80%) completed the survey. Thirty CCCs offered referral- or consult-based services with a clinical nutrition professional such as a registered dietitian (RD). Other services included nutrition classes (56%), nutrition pamphlets (94%), and counseling by non-nutrition health care providers (81%). Twenty-three of the centers monitored patients regularly, but less than half followed a clinical nutrition protocol such as those established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Referral-based services were provided for cancers with a high prevalence of malnutrition, such as head and neck and GI, with most monitoring patients regularly but less than half using evidence-based protocols. CONCLUSION: CCCs rely on referral-based clinical nutrition service, which are not consistently a part of multidisciplinary care. An in-depth comparison of clinical nutrition services among other approaches to cancer care, including a comparison of clinical outcomes among these different approaches, is needed.

Acne: the role of medical nutrition therapy.

Acne is a common disease in Westernized nations, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Acne has substantial effects on quality of life, making treatment essential. Medical nutrition therapy as a potential treatment for acne is not new, although the literature examining diet and acne during the past 100 years is mixed. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, diet was commonly used as an adjunct treatment for acne. During the 1960s, however, the diet-acne connection fell out of favor. In recent years, dermatologists and registered dietitians have revisited the idea and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutrition therapy in acne treatment. This article reviews the history and existing literature examining the association between diet and acne. Although the total number of studies conducted within the past 40 years is relatively small, the growing body of epidemiologic and experimental evidence suggests a relationship between diet and acne. Compared with other dietary factors, more research examines dietary glycemic load. The evidence is more convincing for high glycemic load diets, compared with other dietary factors. To date there are no randomized controlled trials investigating the relationship between frequent dairy or milk consumption and acne. Similarly, the number of research studies examining the relationship between dietary fat and/or n-3 fatty acids is sparse and the evidence is less robust. Taken together, several methodologic limitations need to be addressed, and additional research, preferably randomized controlled trials, is warranted before comprehensive evidence-based guidelines can be established. While dermatologists and registered dietitians continue to debate and research the potential relationship between diet and acne, the best dietary approach is to address each acne patient individually, carefully considering the possibility of dietary counseling.

Elevated plasma homocysteine and low vitamin B-6 status in nonsupplementing older women with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if nonsupplementing older women (aged >or=55 years) with rheumatoid arthritis had higher plasma homocysteine and lower B-vitamin status compared to healthy controls. Elevated plasma homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, may help explain why individuals with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Older, free-living women were classified as rheumatoid arthritis (n=18) or healthy control (n=33). Participants were not using B-vitamin supplements. Fasting blood samples were measured for pyridoxal 5'phosphate (PLP) (the metabolically active coenzyme form of vitamin B-6), folate, red blood cell folate, vitamin B-12, transcobalamin II, homocysteine, C-reactive protein, and lipid concentrations. Participants completed 7-day weighed food records, the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and a visual analog pain scale. RESULTS: PLP concentrations were lower in the rheumatoid arthritis vs healthy control participants (4.93+/-3.85 vs 11.35+/-7.11 ng/mL [20+/-16 vs 46+/-29 nmol/L]; P<0.01) whereas plasma homocysteine was higher in the rheumatoid arthritis group (1.63+/-0.74 vs 1.15+/-0.38 mg/L [12.1+/-5.5 vs 8.5+/-2.8 micromol/L]; P=0.02). Red blood cell folate concentrations were lower in the rheumatoid arthritis vs healthy control participants [414+/-141 vs 525+/-172 ng/mL [938+/-320 vs 1,190+/-390 nmol/L]; P=0.02). No significant differences were found for plasma folate, vitamin B-12, and transcobalamin II. An inverse correlation was found between PLP concentrations and the HAQ disability index (r=-0.37; P<0.01). A positive correlation was found between homocysteine concentrations and the HAQ disability index (r=0.36; P=0.01). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower in the rheumatoid arthritis group (cholesterol 191+/-43 vs 218+/-33 mg/dL [4.95+/-1.11 vs 5.65+/-0.85 mmol/L]; P=0.02; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 110+/-36 vs 137+/-29 mg/dL [2.85+/-0.93 vs 3.55+/-0.75 mmol/L]; P<0.01). No significant differences were seen between groups for protein (g/day), fat (g/day), cholesterol (mg/day), folate (microg/day), vitamin B-12 (microg/day), and vitamin B-6 (mg/day) dietary intakes. CONCLUSIONS: Poor vitamin B-6 status and elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations were seen in older women with rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy controls and may contribute to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

B-vitamins and exercise: does exercise alter requirements?

The B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6) are necessary in the energy-producing pathways of the body, while folate and vitamin B-12 are required for the synthesis of new cells, such as the red blood cells, and for the repair of damaged cells. Active individuals with poor or marginal nutritional status for a B-vitamin may have decreased ability to perform exercise at high intensities. This review focuses on the B-vitamins and their role in energy metabolism and cell regeneration. For each vitamin, function related to physical activity, requirement, and status measures are given. Research examining dietary intakes and nutritional status in active individuals is also presented. Current research suggests that exercise may increase the requirements for riboflavin and vitamin B-6, while data for folate and vitamin B-12 are limited. Athletes who have poor diets, especially those restricting energy intakes or eliminating food groups from the diet, should consider supplementing with a multivitamin/mineral supplement.