ORAL SUPPLEMENTATION WITH A HIGH-FAT, HIGH-ENERGY PRODUCT IMPROVES NUTRITIONAL-STATUS AND ALTERS SERUM-LIPIDS IN PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Objective To assess the tolerance and acceptability of a nutrition sup plement in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), to monitor changes in d ietary intake, and to evaluate nutritional status. Design Subjects wer e their own controls for this 3-month, prospective, open study. Accept ability and tolerance questionnaires and 3-day food records were compl eted at baseline and monthly intervals. Compliance and nutritional sta tus were also assessed. Setting This study was conducted at the Univer sity of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Cystic Fibrosis Center, Madison . Subjects Patients with CF older than 4 years of age were recruited d uring clinic or hospital visits if they met specific weight or growth criteria (n=19). Intervention Subjects were asked to consume the suppl ement at a maximum of 30% their estimated daily energy requirements. M ain outcome measures Responses to acceptability ratings of and toleran ce questions about the supplement were obtained along with anthropomet ric data and biochemical measurements of serum albumin, plasma retinol , alpha-tocopherol, and fatty acid levels. Statistical analyses perfor med Data were analyzed using Minitab and Statistical Analysis Software . Paired and unpaired t tests and nonparametric sign tests were used, as well as regression and Pearson correlations. A significance level o f .05 was used for all tests. Results All subjects tolerated the suppl ement, although 12 reported mild symptoms of fullness, nausea, and/or bloating, which were resolved when intake was distributed throughout t he day. Mean compliance was 69% of recommended intake. Weight gain in children was strongly correlated with compliance (r=.98). Linoleic aci d intake increased significantly (P=.0003) as did plasma linoleic acid in the phospholipid fraction (P=.03). Conclusion The supplement studi ed would be a beneficial addition to the supplementation choices avail able to patients with CF.