Magnesium in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

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The role of thiamine dependent enzymes in obesity and obesity related chronic disease states: a systematic review

The WHO 2016 report indicates that worldwide obesity is rising, with over 600 million people in the obese range (BMI>30). The recommended daily calorie intake for adults is 2000 kcal and 2500 kcal for women and men respectively. The average American consumes 3770 kcal/day and the average person in the UK consumes 3400 kcal/day. With such increased caloric intake, there is an increased load on metabolic pathways, in particular glucose metabolism. Such metabolism requires micronutrients as enzyme co-factors. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for thiamine is 1.3 mg/day and 0.5 mg thiamine is required to process 1000 kilocalories (kcal). Therefore, despite the appearance of being overfed, there is now increasing evidence that the obese population may nutritionally depleted of essential micronutrients. Thiamine deficiency has been reported to be in the region of 16-47% among patients undergoing bariatric surgery for obesity. Thiamine, in turn, requires magnesium to be in its active form thiamine diphosphate, (TDP). TDP also requires magnesium to achieve activation of TDP dependent enzymes, including transketolase (TK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and alpha-keto glutaric acid dehydrogenase (AKGDH), during metabolism of glucose. Thiamine and magnesium therefore play a critical role in glucose metabolism and their deficiency may result in the accumulation of anaerobic metabolites including lactate due to a mismatch between caloric burden and function of thiamine dependent enzymes. It may therefore be postulated that thiamine and magnesium deficiency are under-recognized in obesity and may be important in the progress of obesity and obesity related chronic disease states. The aim of the present systematic review was to examine the role of thiamine dependent enzymes in obesity and obesity related chronic disease states

Telomere homeostasis: interplay with magnesium

Telomere biology, a key component of the hallmarks of ageing, offers insight into dysregulation of normative ageing processes that accompany age-related diseases such as cancer. Telomere homeostasis is tightly linked to cellular metabolism, and in particular with mitochondrial physiology, which is also diminished during cellular senescence and normative physiological ageing. Inherent in the biochemistry of these processes is the role of magnesium, one of the main cellular ions and an essential cofactor in all reactions that use ATP. Magnesium plays an important role in many of the processes involved in regulating telomere structure, integrity and function. This review explores the mechanisms that maintain telomere structure and function, their influence on circadian rhythms and their impact on health and age-related disease. The pervasive role of magnesium in telomere homeostasis is also highlighted

A comparison of CT-body composition measurements in non-cancer and cancer patients from a single UK centre

Objectives: Establish the prevalence of low skeletal muscle index and density in our population, by comparing age and sex matched cohorts of patients with and without cancer, using standardized methodology for CT-Body composition (CT-BC). Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Patients admitted to our institution between 17th March 2020 - 1st May 2020, with confirmed coronavirus disease and imaging suitable for CT-BC (n=52), were age and sex matched with patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer (n=52). Results: 104 patients were included in the final analysis. 43% (n=45) were male, 77% (n=80) were aged 65 years or older, 50% (n=50) were overweight (BMI ≥25) and 53% (n=55) were systemically inflamed (mGPS ≥1). The prevalence of a low SMI (56% vs. 65%) and low SMD (83% vs. 67%) was similar between cohorts. A low SMI and SMD were both associated with age (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively) on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, a low SMD was independently associated with age (OR 2.38 (1.34-4.22), p=0.003) and mGPS (OR 2.10 (1.20-3.68), p=0.01). Conclusions: In conclusion, the prevalence of a low SMI and low SMD was similar in non-cancer and cancer cohorts in our institution

Lactate dehydrogenase: Relationship with the diagnostic GLIM criterion for cachexia in patients with advanced cancer

Background: Although suggestive of dysregulated metabolism, the relationship between serum LDH level, phenotypic/aetiologic diagnostic Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and survival in patients with advanced cancer has yet to examined. Methods: Prospectively collected data from patients with advanced cancer, undergoing anti-cancer therapy with palliative intent, across nine sites in the UK and Ireland between 2011–2016, was retrospectively analysed. LDH values were grouped as <250/250–500/>500 Units/L. Relationships were examined using χ2 test for linear-by-linear association and binary logistics regression analysis. Results: A total of 436 patients met the inclusion criteria. 46% (n = 200) were male and 59% (n = 259) were ≥65 years of age. The median serum LDH was 394 Units/L and 33.5% (n = 146) had an LDH > 500 Units/L. LDH was significantly associated with ECOG-PS (p < 0.001), NLR (p < 0.05), mGPS (p < 0.05) and 3-month survival (p < 0.001). LDH was significantly associated with 3-month survival independent of weight loss (p < 0.01), BMI (p < 0.05), skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.01), metastatic disease (p < 0.05), NLR (p < 0.05) and mGPS (p < 0.01). Discussion: LDH was associated with performance status, systemic inflammation and survival in patients with advanced cancer. LDH measurement may be considered as an aetiologic criteria and become a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer cachexia

Relation between body composition, systemic inflammatory response, and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to an urban teaching hospital with COVID-19

Background: COVID-19 has been associated with cases of severe respiratory illness, admissions to intensive therapy units (ITUs), and high mortality rates. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between computed tomography- body composition (CT-BC) measurements, systemic inflammation, and clinical outcomes in those with COVID-19. Methods: Patients who presented to our institution between March 17 and May 1, 2020, with a positive PCR test for COVID-19 or characteristic radiological changes, were assessed for inclusion. Data collected included general demographic details, clinicopathological variables, poGPS, NLR , CT-BC measurements, and clinical outcomes including ITU admission and 30-d mortality, of those admitted. Results: Sixty-three patients met the study inclusion criteria. Forty-two patients (67%) were aged ≥70 y, 30 (47.6%) were male and 34.9% ( n = 22) had a poGPS ≥1. ITU admission was significantly associated with a high VFA ( P < 0.05). Thirty-day mortality was associated with high VFA (P < 0.05) and low SMI (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Sarcopenia in the presence of obesity was associated with clinical outcomes including greater 30-d mortality

The wider implications of the COVID-19 pandemic: assessing the impact of accident and emergency use for frequent attenders

Introduction: Emergency departments have seen altered patterns of attendance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with reductions in the number of attendances for non-COVID-19 – patients. We assessed the use of the emergency department by frequent attenders during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and explored any changes in emergency department attendance by this group. Methods: As part of ongoing improvement work, we utilised a cohort design to evaluate the difference in patterns of attendance for the frequent attender group in a single centre. We created a 2019 ‘top attender’ cohort and a similar cohort for 2020. We compared admission patterns between the two time periods in order to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this group. Results: Both groups were predominately male. Mental health and substance misuse use problems were common across both cohorts. The majority of patients lived in a socio-economically deprived areas. The median number emergency department visits in 2019, for the top attender cohort was 6 (IQR: 4-9) vs 4 (IQR: 2-7) for the top attender cohort of 2020 (p<.0013). Conclusion: This single centre evaluation has shown a significant reduction in emergency department attendances for a frequent attender cohort in a single centre. Future work should investigate the longer-term impact which the COVID-19 pandemic has had on this patient group

Low serum magnesium and 1-year mortality in alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Background: In 2014, the WHO reported that 6% of all deaths were attributable to excess alcohol consumption. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between serum magnesium concentrations and mortality in patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Materials and methods: A retrospective review of 700 patients with documented evidence of previous AWS indicating a requirement for benzodiazepine prophylaxis or evidence of alcohol withdrawal syndrome between November 2014 and March 2015. Results: Of 380 patients included in the sample analysis, 64 (17%) were dead at 1 year following the time of treatment for AWS. The majority of patients had been prescribed thiamine (77%) and a proton pump inhibitor (66%). In contrast, the majority of patients had low circulating magnesium concentrations (2 (P  50 years (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.52-7.48, P 2 (OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.38-6.94, P < 0.01) and magnesium < 0.75 mmol/L (OR 4.11, 95% CI 1.3-12.8, P < 0.05) remained independently associated with death at 1 year. Conclusion: Overall, 1-year mortality was significantly higher among those patients who were magnesium deficient (<0.75 mmol/L) when compared to those who were replete (≥0.75 mmol/L; P < 0.001)

The relationship between frailty, nutritional status, co-morbidity, CT-body composition and systemic inflammation in patients with COVID-19

Background: Frailty, determined by the Canadian Study of Health and Aging-Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), is strongly associated with clinical outcomes including mortality in patients with COVID-19. However, the relationship between frailty and other recognised prognostic factors including age, nutritional status, obesity, sarcopenia and systemic inflammation is poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between frailty and other prognostic domains, in patients admitted with COVID-19. Methods: Patients who presented to our institutions between 1st April 2020–6th July 2020 with confirmed COVID-19 were assessed for inclusion. Data collected included general demographic details, clinicopathological variables, CFS admission assessment, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), CT-BC measurements and markers of systemic inflammation. Results: 106 patients met the study inclusion criteria. The majority of patients were aged ≥ 70 years (67%), male (53%) and frail (scoring &gt; 3 on the CFS, 72%). The majority of patients were not malnourished (MUST 0, 58%), had ≥ 1 co-morbidity (87%), were sarcopenic (low SMI, 80%) and had systemic inflammation (mGPS ≥ 1, 81%, NLR &gt; 5, 55%). On multivariate binary logistics regression analysis, age (p &lt; 0.01), COPD (p &lt; 0.05) and NLR (p &lt; 0.05) remained independently associated with frailty. On univariate binary logistics regression, NLR (p &lt; 0.05) was significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusion: Frailty was independently associated with age, co-morbidity, and systemic inflammation. The basis of the relationship between frailty and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 requires further study. Trial registration Registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04484545)