Diabetes Worsens Antioxidant Status in Chronic Pancreatitis

Diabetes Worsens Antioxidant Status in Chronic Pancreatitis

LILLE, FrancePatients alreadyexperiencing decreased serum antioxidant levels from chronic pancreatitis (CP)become further deficient when the disease progresses to diabetes mellitus (DM),according to research published in the May issue of the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition (81, 5:117-25, 2005)(www.ajcn.org).

Researchers compared CP patients with or without secondary DMto patients with Type I DM and control subjects. They found CP and DM loweredplasma concentrations of vitamin A and E, and various carotenoids, while CP wasassociated with lower selenium and zinc, decreased catalase activity and higherplasma copper. Researchers concluded plasma antioxidant status is altered inpatients with CP, particularly in those who also have DM. In these patients,vitamin E deficiency and elevated plasma glucose were associated with higher LDLoxidation.