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Updated: May 7, 2026

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
Body composition in young patients with galactose metabolic disorders: a preliminary report
Aim:
Body composition evaluation in patients with galactosemia and its variants.
Methods:
The body composition of young subjects with galactose metabolic disorders was analyzed with dual X-ray absorptiometry. The subjects were divided into the classic galactosemia (CG; n=14) group and the group with other galactose metabolic disorders (OGMD, e.g., epimerase deficiency; n=8).
Results:
In both groups, bone strength and bone mineral density Z-scores were normal. However, CG patients appeared sarcopenic (median muscle mass Z-score=-1.93), whereas OGMD subjects had low-normal muscle mass. In addition, approximately half of all patients were overweight. In CG patients, bone mass was strongly correlated to muscle mass (r=0.81), whereas in OGMD patients it was positively correlated to body mass index (r=0.78).
Conclusions:
An imbalance between muscle and fat mass, especially in patients with classic galactosemia, was observed. Given the observed strong correlation between bone and muscle mass, more effective lifestyle counseling is needed.
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