Malnutrition News and Research

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Malnutrition is a condition which occurs when there is a deficiency of certain vital nutrients in a person’s diet. The deficiency fails to meet the demands of the body leading to effects on the growth, physical health, mood, behaviour and other functions of the body. Malnutrition commonly affects children and the elderly.

Luminex donates new MAGPIX system to Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research

Luminex Corporation, the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, today announced it has donated the first commercial unit of its newly launched MAGPIX® instrument to Professor Peter Siba and his scientific team at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research. The instrument will be used onsite in Papua New Guinea to progress malaria research led by Dr. Peter Zimmerman, Professor of International Health, Genetics and Biology at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University.

From Luminex 18 Aug 2010

Dysphagia impacts length of hospital stay and prognosis

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that hospitalized patients with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, averaged a 40 percent longer hospital stay than patients without the condition. They also had a generally poorer prognosis. The research is published in the August issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

"The efforts of public agencies, non-governmental organisations, private entities and international agencies have become indispensable in addressing the food crisis" in Guatemala, however "activists believe a greater public effort is necessary," Inter Press Service reports. The article examines efforts by various agencies working in Guatemala including the Rural Development Programme for Las Verapaces (PRODEVER), and Accion Contra el Hambre, a local anti-hunger organization.

16 Aug 2010

Study results provide rationale for use of PI3K inhibitors in therapeutic settings

Research at the Babraham Institute, investigating how white blood cells known as B cells develop, has revealed that genes from the Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family of enzymes are critical in enabling the B cells to produce antibodies in the spleen and lymph nodes.

10 Aug 2010

World Breastfeeding Week highlights benefits to infant, child nutrition, health

Kicking off World Breastfeeding Week Sunday, the WHO together with UNICEF emphasized the importance of the agencies' 10 steps to successful breastfeeding to improve health of infants and children around the world, VOA News reports (Schlein, 8/1).

3 Aug 2010

Patients with malignant gastrointestinal disease show high prevalence of malnutrition

Malnutrition is an important factor, influencing both morbidity and recovery after surgery. The early detection of nutritional risk would allow early intervention, which may prevent later complications. A traditional nutritional assessment often includes dietary and medical evaluations to identify significant weight loss over time, significantly low or high body weight(BW), skinfold thickness, serum nutritional factor levels and functional measurements of muscle strength.

31 Jul 2010

Ten steps to successful breastfeeding from WHO and UNICEF

During World Breastfeeding Week, celebrated from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries, WHO reiterates its call on health facilities and health workers to implement ten steps to help mothers breastfeed successfully and improve their babies' health and chances of survival.

30 Jul 2010

African leaders agree to expand maternal health campaign as AU Summit concludes

African leaders participating in the 15th African Union Summit, which concluded on Tuesday, agreed to expand a campaign aimed at curbing maternal mortality on the continent and adopted other "key actions" in an effort to reduce infant and maternal mortality, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.

29 Jul 2010

New study reveals potential role of TGF-β1 in kidney disease

Fibrosis in the kidney is one of the key causes of progressive renal failure. High levels of the inflammatory molecule TGF-β1 in the kidney tubules due to tissue damage can cause fibrosis as well as nephron degeneration, resulting in loss of kidney function. To clarify the mechanisms regulating TGF-β1-mediated renal fibrosis, Koesters et al expressed high levels of TGF-β1 in renal tubules of mice. Nephron degeneration in this system was mediated by decomposition of the tubular cells. These data suggest that TGF-β1 may play a novel role in cell death of renal cells, thus contributing to renal fibrosis.

28 Jul 2010

Haiti: might the earthquake worsen TB rates?

Prior to the earthquake of January 12th 2010, Haiti had experienced the highest TB notification rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region. In a forthcoming editorial in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, Kevin Schwartzman and colleagues from the McGill University Health Centre (Montreal, Canada) discuss whether the devastation of Haiti six months ago will lead to an unavoidable increase in the incidence of TB.

27 Jul 2010

AU leaders summit kicks off, focus on maternal and child health

Heads of state from the African Union (AU) started a three-day meeting in Kampala, Uganda, on Sunday as part of the 15th AU Summit, People's Daily Online reports. Leaders will focus on maternal and child health and will discuss several other issues, including agricultural development, food security, infrastructure development and economic integration (7/26).

27 Jul 2010

'Ultra Rice' piloted as way to tackle malnutrition

Ultra Rice, a rice-shaped pasta fortified with vitamins and minerals is "being produced and tested around the world as a potential solution to malnutrition," according to the Seattle Times. Produced by the nonprofit PATH, Ultra Rice is currently being piloted by the Indian and Brazilian governments in lunch programs and by the U.N. World Food Program in Cambodia. Each grain of Ultra Rice is combined with approximately 100 grains of ordinary rice.

27 Jul 2010

New model of inflammatory bowel disease explores interactions of cells in immune system

Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have constructed a mathematical and computational model of inflammatory bowel disease that allows researchers to simulate the cellular and molecular changes underlying chronic inflammation in humans. The model allows scientists to explore different interactions of cells in the immune system, check how these cells are linked to inflammation in the colon, and identify intervention points to perhaps stop the disease in its tracks.

23 Jul 2010

U.N. needs $5B for humanitarian aid this year, mid-year report says

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched its mid-year appeal Wednesday, requesting "nearly $5 billion to meet its commitment to help 53 million people in 34 countries who need humanitarian aid this year as a result of conflict and disasters," the Associated Press reports.

16 Jul 2010

Rutgers researchers report genetic coding responsible for making QPM kernels sturdy

Rutgers researchers have discovered the basis for what makes corn kernels hard, a quality that allows corn to be easily harvested, stored and transported. The findings could lead to better hybrids and increase the supply for people in developing countries who rely on it as a nutritional staple.

7 Jul 2010

Study finds link between early nutrition and arthritis in people and moose

It's seen as a sign of getting old, but scientists have discovered that arthritis is not just a human problem as a study lasting 50 years reveals how moose suffer from an identical form of the condition. The research, published in Ecology Letters, also casts new light on how malnutrition early in life can lead to the disorder in both moose and humans.

7 Jul 2010

Lancet study series examines health in the Gaza Strip

Reuters reports on a series of studies published Friday in the Lancet, which examine the health of populations living in the Gaza Strip. The studies, which examined the effects of the violence on the region, conclude that Israel's blockade of the territory could "cause long-term damage to Palestinians' health, with many children at risk of stunted growth or malnutrition."

7 Jul 2010

Malnutrition during childhood diminishes brain function in late life

Malnutrition early in life appears to diminish brain function in older adulthood, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher that has implications for many poor, developing nations.

2 Jul 2010

Haitian President rejects U.S. Senate's recommendations for upcoming elections

A day after Haitian President Rene Preval signed a decree authorizing a date for November elections, he rebuffed other recommendations issued by the U.S. Senate, which include "holding an election for his successor, brushing off criticism that the current process will leave the shattered country without a credible leader," the Associated Press reports.

2 Jul 2010

Opinions: Harper and global health; Health workers in developing countries; Funding commitments; DDT, GMO use

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper "can use the relatively intimate setting of the G8's Muskoka meeting to press for a renewal of the G8's commitment to better health for Africans, and help the developed world be truly accountable for its promises," the Globe and Mail writes in an editorial. "The G8's failure to fully fund the historic aid commitments to Africa it made at the 2005 Gleneagles summit" puts the future success of the developing world at risk, the editorial states.

25 Jun 2010