In this study, we established a domestic database of the nutritional composition of foods containing n-6 and n-3 fatty acids to determine the n-6 and n-3 fatty acid intake of the Taiwanese population and develop a diet that provides the recommended daily intake of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. Data on the daily dietary intake of 36 men and women were collected by means of a 24-h dietary recall. Results showed that the average adult caloric intake was 1983 kcal, and the average n-6/n-3 ratio was 8.9. The main dietary sources of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids were vegetable oils, beef, eggs, pork, and fish. The diet simulation portion of the study determined that the recommended daily intake of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids could be reached and the dietary n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio could be lowered to 5.1 ~ 5.3 if participants (a) followed the recommended daily intake for the 6 major food groups in the new food guide model, (b) substituted 12 g of mackerel (approximately one-quarter of the size of one's palm) or 95 g of cod (approximately the size of one's palm) for an equal amount of the soybean/fish/meat/egg group, and (c) substituted 1 teaspoon of canola oil for the fats and oil group. To address the finding that Taiwanese people do not consume the recommended daily amount of n-3 fatty acids, we recommend that they increase their intake of fish rich in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and use vegetable oils rich in C18:3 n-3 to protect their health.
Muscle weakness, muscle mass loss, and hyperlipidemia are common complaints in dialysis patients. We prospectively evaluated the effects of oral L-carnitine supplementation on the nutritional status, anthropometrics, muscle strength, and lipid profiles in patients receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD). This was a interventional and follow-up study. Forty-four CPD patients from National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled. Nineteen patients (group A were treated with 600 mg/day L-carnitine orally (one table qid), and 26 patients (group B) who did not receive L-carnitine served as the control group. The duration of the study was 6 months. We evaluated anthropometrics, muscle strength, and serum albumin and lipid profiles at the start, in the third month, and at the end of the study. After treatment with L-carnitine, there were no significant changes in any parameters in the third month and at the end of study for patients in group A. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the same month. L-Carnitine treatment increased the triceps skin-fold (TSF) thickness only in lower-TSF patients in group A. We found that treatment with 600 mg/day L-carnitine orally did not improve the nutritional status of CPD patients. This may have been a consequence of the relatively small dosage via the oral route and short duration of treatment. However, a low dosage of L-carnitine might be beneficial in improving the TSF thickness in CPD patients with a low TSF.
Background: Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) than did controls. The relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) changes and apneic-hypopneic events in non-obese women with PCOS during sleep is yet to be determined. Methods: All participants (14 untreated women with PCOS and 11 age-and BMI-controlled healthy women, with mean body mass indexes of 21.51±0.63 and 21.27±0.66 Kg/cm^2, respectively) underwent whole-night standard polysomnographic (PSG) monitoring and assessment of serum hormone and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Short-term HRV (in different sleep stages) and long-term HRV (6-hour sleep) were obtained by a power spectral analys is. Results: The AHI and arousal index during the non-rapid eye movement stage (AHI(subscript NREM) and ARI(subscript NREM) were both higher in non-obese women with PCOS than those in the control group (0.032±0.028 vs. 0.698±0.243 p=0.004; 11.45±0.864 vs. 8.636±0.847 p=0.045 Triangular interpolation of the NN interval histogram TINN) of long-term HRV in the PCOS group was also lower (303.9±19.23 vs. 355.9±10.97, p=0.0484) .TINN in all subjects was negatively correlated to the AHI, after adjusting for age, body fat percentage, and serum androgens. TINN had negative relation with highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) while AHIREM was positively related to hsCRP. Conclusions: Non-obese patients with PCOS showed poorer long-term TINN during sleep compared to the controls. The TINN was related to AHI and hsCRP. PCOS patients suffered from worsened cardiac nerve autonomous function that could lead to long-term cardiovascular risk during sleep even when they are not obese.
