Active clinical trials for "Scurvy"

The clinical finding of skin rashes which appear after a vitamin C deficiency in Long Term Care Unit leads us to believe that the institutional diet could predispose to this kind of deficiency. Vitamin C has a key role into the struggle against oxidant stress and is involved into the connective tissue formation of the skin and the vascular endothelium. Vitamin C deficiency affects currently 15 to 25% of the elderly over 65 years old reaching 15% women and 20% men after 65 according to Johnston and Al. It concerns mainly the people in precarious situations (persons without fixed homes, ethyl-smoking persons) and elderly over 65 years. Hypovitaminosis C, defined by plasma level between 5 mg/L and 15 mg/L (28.41 to 85.23 µmol/L), is currently undiagnosed, especially with people with a risk of food deficiency and its prevalence increases with age. The treatment consists of a daily oral supplementation of 1 gram of vitamin C/d for 15 days. A minimum intake of 10 mg/D of vitamin C is required to prevent scurvy and maintain a total pool of 350 mg. A diet modification by a systematic intake of 2 glasses of fresh orange juice and/or the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables would prevent the appearance of scurvy.

Scurvy, or latent scurvy, may be underestimated in developed countries, but continue to be described, often as case report. Little is known about the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in a specific population as withdrawal alcoholics and about his possible consequences, latent scurvy. In an observational study, the investigators will evaluate prospectively the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in alcoholic withdrawal patients, its correlation with latent scurvy, mainly tiredness and weakness, and the evolution of the latter at three months after oral vitamin C supplementation.