Active clinical trials for "Vitamin A Deficiency"

Corn-soy vitamin and mineral fortified blended foods (FBFs) are primarily used for food aid, although sorghum and cowpea may be suitable alternative FBF commodities. The objective of the Micronutrient Fortified Food Aid Pilot Project (MFFAPP) Tanzania Efficacy Study is to determine whether newly formulated, extruded sorghum- and cowpea-based FBFs have equal, or better, nutritive value and acceptance compared to a traditional corn-soy blend. The effectiveness of each blend will be determined in an efficacy study of Tanzanian children under the age of 5 that are deficient, or at risk for deficiency, in iron and vitamin A.

Nitrous oxide has become an increasingly popular recreational drug amongst young people, particularly at festivals, nightclubs and parties. Considering the drug is not illegal to possess, has low cost in the form of 'whippets' and can be easily purchased online, it has become the second most commonly used recreational drug amongst people aged 16-24 in the UK. However, nitrous oxide is known to irreversibly inactivate the functioning of vitamin B12, a vitamin required for the maintenance and proper functioning of nerves in the spinal cord. Neurological symptoms in this population have been reported in around 3.4% of nitrous oxide users, although the true incidence is expected to be higher as the cases being reported by UK hospitals continues to rise. Patients may present with adverse neurological symptoms like tingling, weakness, coordination and mobility problems. Currently, studies reviewing the functional recovery of these patients have been limited by a retrospective study design, short follow up duration and being limited to small cohort sizes. This is in part linked to patient non-compliance and non-attendance at follow-up appointments. The investigators will therefore prospectively recruit all patients presenting with these symptoms and continue to collect data relating to their neurological recovery for 12 months. Data collection will be remote to ensure it is of low burden to the participants. This will allow the investigating team and others to fully appraise the severity of these toxic neuropathies and understand how best to manage their follow up.

The study involves the participant to receive a 250 mcg Cortrosyn (ACTH) Stimulation Test to test the ability of the body to make Cortisol. If the body is not able to make large amount of Cortisol (Delta Cortisol < 13 mg/dl) from the stimulation test, then the participant will be given additional cortisol like medicine called Solumedrol or matching placebo. If the body is able to make large amounts of Cortisol (> 13 mg/dl), then the participant will receive daily shots of Vitamin A for 7 days or matching placebo. If the participant does not respond to the stimulation test, and meets the criteria for Cortisol deficiency (all 3 cortisol concentrations < 20 mg/dl), then he/she will screen failed for the study and will be offered hydrocortisone as part of routine care by the treating physician.

Reduced quality of vision and glare in twilight or night are frequently mentioned complaints within the optometric examination. A reason for these problems could be a myopic refractive shift in dark light conditions, commonly known as night myopia or twilight myopia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether quality of vision in twilight or night could be improved by a spectacle correction optimized for mesopic light conditions. Moreover, objective refraction in large pupils measured by aberrometry was compared to subjective mesopic refraction.

This study establishes the safety and efficacy of vit A supplementation doses (3000 and 6000 IU/d) over 8 weeks in children with SCD-SS, ages 9 and older and test the impact of vit A supplementation on key functional and clinical outcomes. Additionally, vitamin A status is assessed in healthy children ages 9 and older to compare to subjects with SCD-SS.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether daily consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes increases the vitamin A status of Bangladeshi women of reproductive age. Secondary purposes of the study are to determine whether consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes has an effect on the intestinal absorption of dietary iron or dietary zinc in Bangladeshi women of reproductive age.

Iron, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies are particularly common among children and young women in the developing countries of South and Southeast Asia resulting in important adverse health effects. Simultaneous fortification of rice with iron, zinc and vitamin A could be a novel and sustainable approach to control these deficiencies. Recently conducted extrusion trials have demonstrated that extruded rice grains containing iron, zinc and vitamin A show acceptable stability during production and storage and good sensory properties. The grains were produced using a twin-screw extruder equipped with a special cutter and a rice shaping die. The Fe, Zn and vitamin A content of the extruded product is 10 mg, 9 mg and 1050 μg per g of rice, respectively. In this study the investigators plan to test the efficacy of the extruded triple fortified rice in Satun, Thailand, an area where rice is the staple food. Preliminary data from this area show that zinc and vitamin A intakes are low. Biochemical indicators have confirmed zinc deficiency and suboptimal vitamin A status in 1/3 of school aged children. The efficacy of the fortified rice will be evaluated in a 9 months, controlled, double-blind intervention trial in 7-12 y-old children. Children will be selected from primary schools in Satun Province based on low serum zinc values as the primary goal is to investigate Zn efficacy. As secondary outcome the effect on iron and vitamin A status will be investigated. The children will be randomized into two groups: a control group will receive a daily non-fortified rice lunch meal at school, while the second group will receive a daily rice meal containing the triple fortified rice. The rice meals will be given 5 days a week. At baseline, weight and height will be measured and determination of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, zinc protoporphyrin, serum zinc, serum retinol and C-reactive protein will be done. At mid-point and at 9 months, the baseline measurements will be repeated to judge the efficacy of the triple fortified rice.

To assess the effect of oral administration of the alga Dunaliella bardawil containing approximately 50% all-trans beta-carotene and 50% 9-cis beta-carotene isomers on visual functions patients with Congenital Stationary Night Blindness {Fundus albipunctatus).

Breast milk is the best food during the first 6mo of life because it offers multiple benefits for the mother-infant pair. An inadequate maternal diet during pregnancy can lead to excess weight gain, leading to negative health consequences for the dyad. In Mexico, an excess of body weight coexists with micronutrient deficiencies (double burden of malnutrition). Low vitamin A concentration has been observed in northwest Mexico, which can affect the human milk composition and increase the risk of VAD in breastfed babies. An individualized dietary intervention in the lactating woman will reduce body weight and improve vitamin A status. The objective is to assess the effect of an individualized dietary intervention during 3 months postpartum on body composition and vitamin A status of lactating women.

This is a study to evaluate the effects of vitamin A supplementation program on the vitamin A status of preschool children. All children aged 3-5 years who do not have severe illness and are not planning to move from the study area are eligible. Children whose caregivers agree to sign the consent form will be enrolled in their community and submitted to a longitudinal evaluation of vitamin A status before and after vitamin A supplementation campaign. Vitamin A status will be assessed by measuring serum retinol, retinol binding protein and vitamin A total body pool size using stable isotope dilution methodology.