Related Experiment Videos
Nutritional factors associated with rheumatic fever
M M Zaman1, N Yoshiike, A H Chowdhury
1Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|July 29, 1998
Summary
Nutritional deficiencies increase the risk of rheumatic fever (RF) in children with group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal throat infections. Consuming eggs and soybean oil may offer protective benefits against RF development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Rheumatic fever (RF) development after group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) throat infection is not fully understood.
- Nutritional status is a potential, yet underexplored, determinant in RF pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between nutritional factors and the risk of developing rheumatic fever in children with GABHS infections.
- To identify specific dietary components and anthropometric indicators linked to RF susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 218 outpatients in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who had a history of GABHS infection.
- Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements and a food frequency questionnaire.
- Cases (n=60) met the updated Jones criteria for RF; controls (n=104) did not.
Main Results:
- Low height-for-age, weight-for-age, and upper arm circumference-for-age were significantly associated with increased RF risk.
- Reduced consumption of eggs, milk, chicken, pulses, fruits, and ruti correlated with higher RF risk.
- Soybean oil consumption showed a protective effect against RF.
- The association between upper arm circumference, egg consumption, and RF remained significant after adjusting for confounders.
Conclusions:
- Protein-energy malnutrition appears to be associated with an increased risk of rheumatic fever.
- Dietary factors, particularly egg and soybean oil intake, may play a role in preventing RF development, potentially due to anti-inflammatory properties.