Active clinical trials for "Starvation"

In the Region Skåne in Sweden, the investigators have developed guidelines for providing intensive and evidence-based treatment during the first month in case of severe restrictive eating disorder with pronounced starvation. The project is aiming at implementing this treatment program in the general Child Psychiatric clinic, with its main focus on the implementation of evidence based family therapy. The study aims to evaluate the implementation of a standardized treatment model during the first month. The outcome will be compared with the patients and families who have been in treatment before the ROCKETLAUNCH project started.

In a randomized, cross-over study, 20 healthy volunteers will receive a block and replace therapy that mimics physiological GC rhythm (metyrapone plus hydrocortisone) or placebo. Participants will undergo two identical fasting periods with each treatment. With the block and replace therapy, fasting-induced GC peak will be suppressed. Metabolic and autonomic parameters will be compared to reveal whether GCs mediate the physiological adaptions to caloric restriction. Understanding acute effects of GCs upon caloric restriction is critical, since repetitive disruptions of GC secretion may become harmful in chronic conditions.

In critically ill patients, a strategy aimed at an early delivery of full caloric support, with a combination of Enteral Nutrition (EN) and Parenteral Nutrition (PN) (in conditions preventing hyperglycemia and overfeeding), results in shorter ICU and hospital stay and less morbidity as compared to a strategy using only EN.

Nutritional treatment has become an essential component of the management of critically ill, due to better knowledge about positive impact of nutritional support. Malnutrition among ICU patients is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, length of stay (LOS) and therefore higher costs.Several studies however suggest, that early implementation of nutritional support is associated with improved clinical outcome, shorter LOS, and decreased infection rates. One of the objectives of this study is to determine if an nutrition protocol can improve the delivery of enteral tube feeding in the ICU.

The primary objective is to investigate whether intake of approximately 200 ml of sugary fluid 2 hours before the scheduled gastroscopy of the abdomen can reduce the discomfort of fasting period for patients without reducing the quality of the study. Current standard for fasting and fluid intake before gastroscopy is completely fasting 6 hours before the study. Studies in patients in general anesthesia has been found that it does not increase the risk of aspiration of stomach content during the operation by allowing the patient to drink up to 2 hours prior to anesthesia induction. There are no studies that have examined the quality gastroscopy using this fasting procedure. Some studies show that intake of sugary liquids do not have significant effect on gastric emptying. There are not deemed to be ethical problems with this study, as it seeks to show that a more lenient standard procedure in endoscopy is as safe as the established. The study is considered safe.

We plan to study the concept of "energy starvation" in heart failure by evaluation of patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) (heart failure with reduced heart pump function due to causes other than heart attack). We will use a combination of positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to study metabolism, anatomy, function, blood flow and efficiency, before and after 6 months' treatment with the drug spironolactone which blocks the deleterious effects of the hormone aldosterone on the myocardium (heart muscle).

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate whether the dependence of luteinizing hormone pulsatility on energy availability declines during adolescence.

In this study, the investigators wanted to investigate the energy homeostasis and the steroid metabolism of 20 healthy, young and normal weight women aged between 16-35 years before and after a 48 hours fasting period. The following substrates and hormone concentrations representing the carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism will be measured from plasma or urine before and after fasting: glucose, insulin, lactate, alpha-synucleine, free fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate (ketone bodies), carnitine (surrogate for acetyl-CoA) and alanine (amino acids). In addition, the investigators will measure 67 steroid metabolites by GC/MS and Biokrates AbsolutIDQ Steroid Assay in all collected urines and blood samples. In the analysis of the data, the investigators will focus on correlations between biochemical parameters of the energy metabolism and parameters of the steroid metabolism, specifically the androgens. In addition, the steroid profiles obtained from healthy young women before and after fasting will be compared to steroid profiles of PCOS women in search for specific differences.

Surgical patients are usually starved for 8 hours before operation in order to ensure the stomach is empty and thus reduce the chances of vomiting during the anaesthetic. Recent studies have shown that this period of starvation is harmful as it 'weakens' the body before operation. To avoid the harmful effects of starvation, patients are now given carbohydrate (sugar-containing) drinks 2 to 4 hours before surgery. These drinks have been shown to make patients feel better, reduce sickness after the anaesthetic/surgery and result in a quicker recovery from operation. The optimum time of giving these drinks to patients before operation is unknown. Previous studies have shown that the drinks empty from the stomach within 2 - 4 hours depending on their ingredients. The investigators would like to study the effects of adding protein and fat to these drinks on how quickly the drinks empty from the stomach. This study will investigate the hormone responses of the body following intake of 3 different drinks in order to determine the mechanisms that underlie the control of stomach emptying. This information will also allow us to improve the design of these drinks and this could help patients who undergo surgery who receive them.

Surgical patients are usually starved for 8 to 12 hours before operation in order to reduce the chances of vomiting and other complications during the anaesthetic. Recent studies have suggested that this period of starvation might be harmful as it 'weakens' or 'stresses' the body before the operation. To avoid these harmful effects of starvation, patients are now given carbohydrate drinks (sugar-containing drinks that provide energy for the body) up to 2 hours before the operation. These drinks have been shown to make patients feel better, reduce sickness after the anesthetic/surgery and result in quicker recovery from operation. But the ways in which the sugar drinks have these beneficial effects on the body are unknown. The optimum time of giving these drinks to patients before operation is also unknown. This study will investigate the hormone responses of the body, following intake of 2 different carbohydrate drinks, in order to determine the optimum time of intake of these drinks in order to obtain the maximum benefits for the body.