41 patients with active RA recorded a detailed dietary history. Patients with RA ingest too much total fat and too little PUFA and fiber. These observations, also documented in previous studies, suggest that routine dietary supplementation with multivitamins and trace elements is appropriate in this population.
Zinc supplementation improves glucose disposal in patients with cirrhosis.
In experimental animals, zinc status may also affect glucose disposal, and acute zinc supplementation improves glucose tolerance in healthy subjects. This study was aimed at measuring the effects of long-term oral zinc supplements on glucose tolerance in cirrhosis. The test was performed using a simplified procedure, based on 20 blood samples collected within 4 hours from the glucose load. Normal values were obtained in 25 age-matched healthy subjects. Zinc levels were low to normal or reduced before treatment, and were normalized by oral zinc.