The role of adipokines in the improvement of diabetic and cardiovascular risk factors within a 52-week weight-loss programme for obesity.

Background: Obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes weight reduction not only reduces the risk for these diseases but leads to an alteration of the circulating adipokine levels. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of weight loss and lifestyle changes implemented in the form of the interdisciplinary weight management programme Optifast52® on cardiovascular and diabetic risk factors and on key adipokines.

Methods: 72 morbidly obese patients were included in the programme, which consisted of a very low-calorie diet followed by incremental food introduction and dietary stabilisation, accompanied by medical surveillance, physical activity, dietary counselling and psychological support.

Efficacy and safety of PICOPREP tailored dosing compared with PICOPREP day-before dosing for colon cleansing: a multi-centric randomised study.

 The success of any colonoscopy procedure depends upon the quality of bowel preparation. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a new tailored dosing (TD) regimen compared with the approved PICOPREP day-before dosing regimen (DBD) in the European Union.  Patients (≥ 18 years) undergoing colonoscopy were randomised (2:1) to TD (Dose 1, 10 - 18 hours; Dose 2, 4 - 6 hours before colonoscopy) or DBD (Dose 1 before 8:00AM on the day before colonoscopy; Dose 2, 6 - 8 hours after Dose 1).

[Enteral nutrition: drug administration via feeding tube].

Enteral nutrition support via a feeding tube is a preferred and broadly applied way of artificial nutrition in patients who cannot take up orally an adequate amount of nutrients. These patients often need simultaneous drug therapy as well. Thus, there is a high risk of drug-nutrient interactions.