Objective: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency, more common in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) secondary to malnutrition, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The prevalence and impact of VA deficiency in high-income countries (HIC) where chronic conditions may predispose is less well understood.
Design: Interpretation of serum retinol may be affected by inflammation, so C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were sought. Binary logistic regression and generalised estimating equations were performed to review the relationship between CRP and VA.
Setting: We examined the scale of low and deficient VA status in our tertiary University Teaching Hospital (HIC).
Participants: Patients undergoing serum retinol concentrations 2012-2016 were identified from laboratory records, and records examined.
Results: Totally, 628 assays were requested, with eighty-two patients VA low (0·7-0·99 Umol/l) or deficient (<0·7 Umol/l). Sixteen patients were symptomatic (fifteen deficient), predominantly visual. Only one symptomatic patient's VA deficiency was secondary to poor intake. Other symptomatic patients had chronic illnesses resulting in malabsorption. The incidence of a low VA level increases significantly with a raised CRP.
Conclusion: The majority of patients tested either were replete or likely to have abnormal VA levels due to concomitant inflammation. A minority of patients had signs and symptoms of VA deficiency and was a cause of significant morbidity, but aetiology differs from LMIC, overwhelmingly malabsorption, most commonly secondary to surgery or hepatobiliary disease. A correlation between inflammation and low VA levels exists, which raises the possibility that requesting a VA level in an asymptomatic patient with active inflammation may be of questionable benefit.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021003347 | DOI Listing |
J Sci Food Agric
January 2025
School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia.
In recent years, changes in dietary patterns from an omnivore diet to a moderate-to-restrictive diet that includes more plant food are becoming popular for various reasons and the associated health benefits. Despite the increased consumption of plant food as recommended by these seemingly healthy diets, micronutrient deficiency is still prevalent particularly among the health-conscious populations. The aim of this review is to help guide interventions by understanding micronutrient deficiency trends from a dietary habit and plant physiology context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProbl Endokrinol (Mosk)
November 2024
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. About 99% of calcium is deposited in the bones in the form of hydroxyapatite and only 1% is located in the intracellular and extracellular fluid. Ionized calcium, which makes up about 50% of the total amount of circulating calcium, is biologically active; the remaining percentage is bound to plasma proteins (40%, of which albumin accounts for 90%, and globulins for 10%), or is in complex with anions (10%) such as citrate, lactate, bicarbonate, phosphate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Food Sci Technol
February 2025
Department of Food Processing and Quality Control, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamilnadu India.
Pharmaceutical supplementation and dietary fortification are the most common approaches to reducing vitamin deficits. To improve the health and nutritional value of crops, agronomic biofortification necessitates the direct application of nutrients. Producers using micronutrient fertilizers to increase the fortification of crops are essential to the success of biofortification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis
January 2025
Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
Background: This study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D levels and the risk of severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).
Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study with 636 COPD patients admitted for exacerbations between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients were categorized based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: severe deficiency (<10 ng/mL), deficiency (10-20 ng/mL), insufficiency (20-30 ng/mL), or sufficiency (>30 ng/mL).
Pan Afr Med J
January 2025
Department of Optometry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Introduction: vitamin A is a nutrient required for normal visual system function, growth, and development. Periodic vitamin A supplementation is a cost-effective strategy for preventing vitamin A deficiency in children. This study aimed to assess the coverage and associated factors of vitamin A supplementation among children aged 6-59 months in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia 2022.
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