Bone

High alcohol consumption is associated with an increase in femoral BMD in physically active men from the Indian armed forces, Venkat et al. report. Compared with men who did not consume alcohol, femoral BMD was notably higher in men with a weekly alcohol intake >24g. Such men also had lower concentrations of testosterone (total, free and bioavailable) and parathyroid hormone and higher concentrations of estradiol than nonconsumers.

Venkat, K. K. et al. Effect of alcohol consumption on bone mineral density and hormonal parameters in physically active male soldiers. Bone doi:10.1016/j.bone.2009.05.005

Growth

Elevated insulin-like growth factor I concentrations at the age of 3 months in formula-fed infants, compared with their breast-fed counterparts, are linked to quicker gains in length but slower gains in BMI and adiposity between the ages of 3 months and 12 months. Ong and colleagues suggest that insulin-like growth factor I has a key role in various aspects of infant growth and weight gain.

Ong, K. K. et al. Insulin-like growth factor I concentrations in infancy predict differential gains in body length and adiposity: the Cambridge Baby Growth Study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 90, 156–161 (2009).

Diabetes

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus who self-monitor their blood glucose levels on a daily basis are less likely than those who undergo weekly office-based glucose testing to give birth to excessively heavy babies. Hawkins et al. observed fewer births of macrosomic and large for gestational age babies in the daily monitoring group than in the weekly monitoring group (21.9% and 33.1% versus 29.5% and 34.4%, respectively). Maternal weight gain was also lower in the self-monitoring group.

Hawkins, J. S. et al. Weekly compared with daily blood glucose monitoring in women with diet-treated gestational diabetes. Obstet. Gynecol. 113, 1307–1312 (2009).

Nutrition

Aasheim and co-workers have found that biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch is associated with a greater risk of vitamin A and D deficiencies than is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the first postprocedural year. These results suggest that monitoring and supplementation regimens for these patients should differ according to the type of bariatric surgery performed.

Aasheim, E. T. et al. Vitamin status after bariatric surgery: a randomized study of gastric bypass and duodenal switch. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 90, 15–22 (2009).