(Press-News.org) The scourge of scurvy, which is caused by vitamin C deficiency, may be re-emerging amid the cost of living crisis and the rise in weight loss (bariatric) surgery, suggest doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a middle-aged man with the condition.
Scurvy is eminently treatable, but because it’s a disease of the past, first associated with sailors during the Renaissance era, it may be mistaken for other conditions, especially inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis), potentially risking fatal bleeding if left untreated, highlight the authors.
Signs can appear as early as a month after a daily intake of less than 10 mg of vitamin C.
The authors treated a middle aged man whose legs were covered with tiny painful red-brown pinpoints, resembling a rash. Blood was also present in his urine and he was anaemic.
He tested negative for inflammatory, autoimmune, and blood disorders, and scans revealed no evidence of internal bleeding. Similarly, a skin biopsy returned no diagnostic clues.
His rash continued to spread while he was in hospital. And further questioning revealed that he was short of cash and neglected his diet, eating little in the way of fruit and vegetables. He said that he sometimes skipped meals altogether.
He had also stopped taking the nutritional supplements prescribed for him after previous weight loss surgery, because he said he couldn’t afford them.
Blood tests to assess his general nutritional status indicated no detectable levels of vitamin C and very low levels of other key nutrients. He was diagnosed with scurvy and treated with daily vitamin C (1000 mg), vitamin D3, folic acid and multivitamin supplements, after which his painful rash and other symptoms cleared up.
This is just one case report, and while it’s not clear what the current prevalence of scurvy is, it’s still relatively rare.
But the authors point out: “Scurvy is still seen as a disease of the past, especially in developed countries.” The rising cost of living also makes it harder for families to afford good quality nutritious foods, while there have been numerous reports of scurvy arising from complications following bariatric surgery, they add.
Other risk factors for scurvy include alcoholism, smoking, eating disorders, low household income, obesity, kidney dialysis and drugs that interfere with vitamin C absorption, such as steroids and those that curb stomach acid production (proton pump inhibitors), they highlight.
“Our patient had multiple risk factors, namely, poor dietary habits, obesity, previous bariatric surgery, use of proton pump inhibitors and low-income status. His history of iron, vitamin D and folate deficiencies were also clues to his underlying nutritional deficiency,” they conclude.
END
Scurvy may be re-emerging amid cost of living crisis and rise of weight loss surgery
Condition caused by vitamin C deficiency first linked to sailors during Renaissance era
2024-10-22
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Ethical framework aims to counter risks of geoengineering research
2024-10-22
WASHINGTON — As interest grows in geoengineering as a strategy for tackling global warming, the world’s largest association of Earth and space scientists today launched an ethical framework as a guide to responsible decision-making and inclusive dialogue.
The report, facilitated by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and advised by a global panel of experts, says any research into large-scale interventions in Earth’s climate system must be grounded in sound ethical principles so society can make informed choices about whether to deploy them. It warns that the unintended consequences ...
New AI tool set to be a “game changer” in improving outcome predictions for kidney transplant patients
2024-10-22
A new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tool, developed by renal doctors internationally, represents a significant step forward in predicting and potentially improving outcomes for UK kidney transplant patients.
For patients with late-stage renal failure, a kidney transplant can be life-changing, offering the promise of improved survival and a better quality of life compared to other treatment options. But in the UK alone, around 5,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, ...
New VUMC hospital expansion to be named Jim Ayers Tower
2024-10-22
Vanderbilt University Medical Center will name the new expansion tower for Vanderbilt University Hospital the Jim Ayers Tower in recognition of Janet and Jim Ayers’ philanthropic legacy and abiding interest in improving the health care and quality of life for Tennesseans.
The naming of the 15-level, 470,000-square-foot tower, currently under construction between 21st Avenue South and Medical Center Drive on the Main Campus in Nashville, honors the couple’s steadfast community leadership and longtime connection to VUMC. The tower is scheduled to ...
New drug, WNTinib, delays tumor growth and improves survival in mouse models of children’s liver cancer
2024-10-22
Barcelona, Spain: A new drug called WNTinib can delay the growth of tumours and improve survival in hepatoblastoma, a type of liver cancer that occurs in young children. This effect was seen in cancer cells taken from patients and implanted into mice.
The researchers are now working on strategies to identify children who may benefit from the treatment, according to Ms Ugne Balaseviciute, a pre-doctoral researcher in the Translational Research in the Hepatic Oncology Group led by Professor Josep M, Llovet at Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques ...
Clinical study confirms tissue stiffening in breast cancer can drive metastasis
2024-10-22
TUCSON, Arizona — A study published in Clinical Cancer Research confirmed that tissue stiffening in the most common types of breast cancer, HER2-negative, can directly cause disease progression and metastasis, leading to detrimental outcomes for patients. The work was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and clinicians in Spain.
Researchers led by Miguel Quintela-Fandino, MD, at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center evaluated the MeCo Score™, a diagnostic test invented at ...
Medicare has a revolving door, study suggests
2024-10-22
Right now across the country, tens of millions of older adults and people with serious disabilities have a choice to make: whether to stick with their current Medicare option, or change during Open Enrollment.
One of the biggest decisions they face is whether to go with a Medicare Advantage plan offered by an insurance company, or traditional Medicare coverage offered directly by the federal government.
If they change from one to the other, a new University of Michigan study finds, they may be entering a revolving door and find themselves changing again in the future.
On average, the study shows, 3% of people with traditional Medicare switch over to ...
Floor swabbing could help prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals
2024-10-22
COVID-19 is here to stay. As restrictions and human testing have waned, new research is tackling the challenge of how we can monitor, predict, and prevent cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, especially among vulnerable groups like hospitalized patients.
One approach is environmental surveillance. The most well-known incarnation is wastewater surveillance, which rose in prominence following the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Coronavirus in the Urban Built Environment research team, also known as CUBE, is exploring an alternative—swabbing the floors.
In a recent study at two hospitals in Ontario, CUBE researchers swabbed the floors ...
Paws of polar bears sustaining ice-related injuries in a warming Arctic
2024-10-22
Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet, apparently due to changing sea ice conditions in a warming Arctic. While surveying the health of two polar bear populations, researchers found lacerations, hair loss, ice buildup and skin ulcerations primarily affecting the feet of adult bears as well as other parts of the body. Two bears had ice blocks up to 1 foot (30 centimeters) in diameter stuck to their foot pads, which caused deep, bleeding cuts and made it difficult for them to walk.
The study led by the University of Washington was published Oct. 22 in the journal Ecology. It’s ...
Politics may influence gift-giving choices more than personal purchases
2024-10-22
DURHAM, N.H.—(October 22, 2024)—Political affiliation may not make a difference on everyday purchases for individuals, but it can play a role when buying for friends, family and co-workers, new research from the University of New Hampshire has found. This may have implications for gift buying this holiday season and beyond.
“We performed five different studies, each looking at buying different products, and asked people to make a choice for themselves and then a gift for someone they knew really well and found that politics played a bigger role when people were purchasing gifts, because that's a case where people are making a decision based ...
Listening skills bring human-like touch to robots
2024-10-22
Note to Editors: Video clips available at: https://duke.box.com/s/wtq3ofu3kf84ayw3qr6jajxdizt0rwxc
DURHAM, N.C. – Imagine sitting in a dark movie theater wondering just how much soda is left in your oversized cup. Rather than prying off the cap and looking, you pick up and shake the cup a bit to hear how much ice is inside rattling around, giving you a decent indication of if you’ll need to get a free refill.
Setting the drink back down, you wonder absent-mindedly if the armrest is made of real wood. After ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Towards a new era of global agricultural ecology and environmental science
Durham University scientists pioneer new drone swarm technology
New research reveals insights into linkage between menopause and cardiovascular health
Durham University scientists map stress response system in plants
Weight-loss drug semaglutide reduces cocaine use in rats: Suggests possible first pharmacological treatment for human cocaine dependency
Are probiotics worth the cost to prevent infection after a colon removal surgery?
Mizzou at the forefront of using hydrogen energy safely
New design framework makes it easier to create custom shock-absorbing materials
Ochsner Health honored by AMA for Joy in Medicine
New meta-analysis demonstrates that access to the GeneSight test can significantly improve response and remission rates for patients with depression
UCLA receives $7.1M federal grant to expand psychotherapy treatment for chronic pain
One dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses
Researchers identify single antibody behind life-threatening reaction to common blood thinner
Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate
Not so sweet: Some sugar substitutes linked to faster cognitive decline
Antibody-making cells reveal new function in response to flu infection
CCNY physicists make quantum emitter discovery in diamonds
SwRI and Copeland win R&D 100 Award for innovative oil-free compressor
Loneliness is bad for health and wealth in the U.K.
Oral health treatment in patients due for surgery is associated with significantly lower rates of postoperative pneumonia and shorter hospital stays, per observational study in one Japanese hospital,
Oxygen came late to ocean depths during Paleozoic
Among women suffering hyperemesis (extreme nausea and vomiting) in pregnancy, half report considering terminating their pregnancy, and 9 in 10 have considered having no more children
Loneliness is bad for health and wealth in the UK
Climate change is making rollercoaster harvests the new normal
Misdirected: Increased dementia risk associated with errors of the 'brain’s compass'
Sip smarter: Apple juice effects on oral health are short-lived, study suggests
Vegan dog food provides similar nutrients to meat-based diets, new study finds
The cling of doom: How staph bacteria latch onto human skin
Emotional and medical toll of extreme pregnancy nausea, with many women considering ending pregnancies
DNA analysis shows colorectal cancer has unique microbial fingerprint
[Press-News.org] Scurvy may be re-emerging amid cost of living crisis and rise of weight loss surgeryCondition caused by vitamin C deficiency first linked to sailors during Renaissance era