Nutritional Status and Metabolism in Celiac Disease: Narrative Review.

This review summarizes findings from studies assessing the nutritional status of patients with celiac disease (CD). Malnutrition, including over- and undernutrition, may be present in CD, both at diagnosis and while under treatment. Underweight and growth retardation in children, which mostly reflect malabsorption as a consequence of intestinal inflammation, are not a rule. Clinical presentations of CD can vary widely, and each manifestation has its own characteristics. Evaluating various nutritional parameters can be beneficial for CD patients and may improve health outcomes by facilitating an accurate definition of dietary needs and the development of a balanced diet that not only focuses on eliminating gluten but also provides adequate nutrients, alters metabolism, and reduces the risk of other disorders developing. The cornerstone of CD therapy is a gluten-free diet (GFD), which improves nutritional status, but even on a GFD, features of malnutrition may be present. Additionally, overweight and obesity may occur in patients on a GFD, with typical metabolic consequences.

Controversial Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on Reducing Insulin Resistance and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Patients with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Prediabetes has become a worldwide health problem. Multiple clinical trials have been conducted to determine the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in preventing the conversion to diabetes, but the results are inconsistent. The aims of this study were to evaluate the current knowledge and to suggest recommendations for researchers on designing future trials regarding that matter. METHODS: Four databases were searched for randomized control trials from the last 10 years about vitamin D and insulin resistance. The systematic electronic literature search identified 2645 studies, of which thirty-eight qualified for full-text reading and discussion. Finally, eight trials were included. RESULTS: Final results of seven trials reported that supplementation of vitamin D does not reduce insulin resistance nor reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 development in prediabetes. Only one trial showed improvements in fasting glucose and HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the great variation and biases in study designs, an unambiguous interpretation of the results is not possible. To eliminate those vulnerabilities in the future, we made certain suggestions for study design. Long-term and well-designed studies are still required.

DeltaF508 CFTR Hetero- and Homozygous Paediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Do Not Differ with Regard to Nutritional Status.

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status between deltaF508 CFTR hetero- and homozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. We assessed the percentage profiles of fatty acids measured in erythrocyte membranes and the serum levels of vitamins A, D3, E and K1 in the studied groups. We also measured the weights and heights and calculated the body mass indexes (BMIs). The studied groups consisted of 34 heterozygous and 30 homozygous patients. No statistically significant differences were found in the serum vitamins or erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profiles between the hetero- and homozygous patient groups, except for heptadecanoic acid (p = 0.038). The mean percentiles of height, weight and BMI did not differ significantly between the two groups. The homozygous and heterozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis were similar in terms of their nutritional statuses.

Self-diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy resulting in parathyroidectomy and uncomplicated delivery.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a condition with hypercalcemia and elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH). Typically, treating patients with such disease does not pose a problem for doctors, unless the patient is pregnant. Firstly, pregnancy may mask signs of hypercalcemia. Secondly, treatment should be applied with special care for immature fetus. If undiagnosed and untreated, it is life-threatening for the mother and the baby. The main cause of primary hyperparathyroidism is parathyroid adenoma, which should be removed surgically in second trimester. If the patient is monitored by a multidisciplinary team, the risk of mortality and pregnancy loss is reduced.