Author:
Sonia Bell-Nichols, Hepatitis Weekly
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: Sat, March 03 2001, 7:36:46 PST
Liver Cirrhosis
Nocturnal Energy Supplementation May Prevent Malnutrition
by , staff medical writer –
Patients with liver cirrhosis could prevent potential malnutrition by taking an energy supplement overnight, researchers say.
Cirrhotic patients are at risk for malnutrition because of the way their bodies metabolize food.
"Patients with liver cirrhosis exhibit abnormal fuel metabolism, including increased fat and decreased glucose oxidation. Such altered energy metabolism is similar to that observed after starvation and could lead to malnutrition," said Y. Miwa et al., Gifu University School of Medicine.
New research conducted by Miwa and associates shows that by taking a liquid nutrient drink, this problem could be avoided.
Two groups of patients, 12 with liver cirrhosis, and 14 who were healthy, were compared for purposes of the new study. Both groups were given special diets to consume in the week prior to the study and during the study period.
On the first morning of the study, both groups, who had fasted overnight, were measured for certain values such as oxidation rates of glucose, fat, and protein, as well as other metabolic determinants like resting energy expenditure and respiratory quotient.
The cirrhotic patients had higher values for fat and lower values for carbohydrate and respiratory quotients than the healthy volunteers did after the overnight fast, researchers reported.
All individuals were then given a liquid nutrient called Ensure to drink prior to retiring that night.
The next day, patients with liver cirrhosis had metabolic values that were considered to be relatively normal, according to Miwa and colleagues ("Improvement of fuel metabolism by nocturnal energy supplementation in patients with liver cirrhosis," Hepatology Research, 2000;18(3):184-189).
"These results suggest that nocturnal energy supplementation could be useful to correct abnormal fuel metabolism and to prevent malnutrition in cirrhosis," they concluded.
The corresponding author for this study is H. Moriwaki, Gifu University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine 1, 40 Tsukuasa Machi, Gifu 5008705, Japan.
Key points reported in this study are:
• Due to the way patients with liver cirrhosis metabolize food, they are at a greater risk for malnutrition
• Liver cirrhosis patients tend to have abnormal fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates
• Night-time energy supplementation could be used to prevent malnutrition in liver cirrhosis patients
This article was prepared by Hepatitis Weekly editors from staff and other reports
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
|
