Vitamin d status predicts 30 day mortality in hospitalised cats

Vitamin D insufficiency, defined as low serum concentrations of the major circulating form of vitamin D, 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), has been associated with the development of numerous infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders in humans. In addition, vitamin D insufficiency has been found to be predictive of mortality for many disorders. However, interpretation of human studies is difficult since vitamin D status is influenced by many factors, including diet, season, latitude, and exposure to UV radiation. In contrast, domesticated cats do not produce vitamin D cutaneously, and most cats are fed a commercial diet containing a relatively standard amount of vitamin D. Consequently, domesticated cats are an attractive model system in which to examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and health outcomes. The hypothesis of this study was that vitamin D status would predict short term, all-cause mortality in domesticated cats. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, together with a wide range of other clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters, were measured in 99 consecutively hospitalised cats. Cats which died within 30 days of initial assessment had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than cats which survived. In a linear regression model including 12 clinical variables, serum 25(OH)D concentration in the lower tertile was significantly predictive of mortality. The odds ratio of mortality within 30 days was 8.27 (95% confidence interval 2.54-31.52) for cats with a serum 25(OH)D concentration in the lower tertile. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that low serum 25(OH)D concentration status is an independent predictor of short term mortality in cats

The role of religious leaders in promoting acceptance of vaccination within a minority group: a qualitative study

Contains fulltext : 117840.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Although childhood vaccination programs have been very successful, vaccination coverage in minority groups may be considerably lower than in the general population. In order to increase vaccination coverage in such minority groups involvement of faith-based organizations and religious leaders has been advocated. We assessed the role of religious leaders in promoting acceptance or refusal of vaccination within an orthodox Protestant minority group with low vaccination coverage in The Netherlands. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with orthodox Protestant religious leaders from various denominations, who were selected via purposeful sampling. Transcripts of the interviews were thematically analyzed, and emerging concepts were assessed for consistency using the constant comparative method from grounded theory. RESULTS: Data saturation was reached after 12 interviews. Three subgroups of religious leaders stood out: those who fully accepted vaccination and did not address the subject, those who had religious objections to vaccination but focused on a deliberate choice, and those who had religious objections to vaccination and preached against vaccination. The various approaches of the religious leaders seemed to be determined by the acceptance of vaccination in their congregation as well as by their personal point of view. All religious leaders emphasized the importance of voluntary vaccination programs and religious exemptions from vaccination requirements. In case of an epidemic of a vaccine preventable disease, they would appreciate a dialogue with the authorities. However, they were not willing to promote vaccination on behalf of authorities. CONCLUSION: Religious leaders' attitudes towards vaccination vary from full acceptance to clear refusal. According to orthodox Protestant church order, local congregation members appoint their religious leaders themselves. Obviously they choose leaders whose views are compatible with the views of the congregation members. Moreover, the positions of orthodox Protestant religious leaders on vaccination will not change easily, as their objections to vaccination are rooted in religious doctrine and they owe their authority to their interpretation and application of this doctrine. Although the dialogue with religious leaders that is pursued by the Dutch government may be helpful in controlling epidemics by other means than vaccination, it is unlikely to increase vaccination coverage

Vitamines – algemeen

Een adequate vitamine-inname is zeker niet vanzelfsprekend, en deficiënties door bijvoorbeeld ondervoeding, eenzijdige voeding, medicijngebruik of andere factoren blijven wereldwijd een probleem. Voor sommige vitamines is de optimale inname of concentratie nog steeds onderwerp van discussie. In dit hoofdstuk ligt de nadruk op de fysiologische aspecten van vitamines, hun opname en effecten in het lichaam. Het is vooral gericht op de diëtist die zich wil verdiepen in de basisprincipes, achtergronden en recente ontwikkelingen rond vitamines. Dertien voor de mens relevante vitamines komen één voor één aan de orde, daarbij aantekenend dat het belang van hun onderlinge samenhang in de voedingsmatrix en het eetpatroon maakt dat we ze eigenlijk niet afzonderlijk zouden moeten bespreken. De laatste jaren is over sommige vitamines meer geschreven en gediscussieerd dan over andere. Voorbeelden zijn vitamine B6 (vooral in verband met overdosering), vitamine B12, vitamine C, vitamine D en vitamine K2. Deze ontwikkelingen krijgen in dit hoofdstuk daarom extra aandacht