HOW THE VITCHECK ASSEsSEMENT WORKS:

First data is collected about the individual sex, age, height and weight. Then inputs on food choices-intake of fruit and vegetables, calcium sources, oily fish, dietary preferences and food intolerances are collated.

Finally, relevant lifestyle factors relating to exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, weight loss regimes, sunshine exposure, dietary genetic tests, and conditions requiring extra nutritional support are assessed.

User are then presented a drop-down menu from which to select as they enter their medication. Multiple medications and any consequences are added to any potential negative effects from the previous collected data-points and the authenticated Vitcheck algorithm delivers a cumulative score of any impacts that have been identified. This summary is seen as a traffic light system with red as major concerns, amber as moderate and green as minor impacts. The user can then access the comprehensive details of which specific nutrients fall into each category.

Once these details are revealed, the first recommendation to correct any extra nutritional need is always to advise eating foods rich in the specific nutrient that is lacking. With every recommendation, a hyperlink to the peer reviewed reference source is available to verify the evidence.

In circumstances where the impact of a drug or drugs upon micronutrients is major, and cannot be rectified by diet alone, a personalised corrective supplement prescription is recommended.

TRY THE VITCHECK ASSESSMENT YOURSELF

Click on this link to be redirected to Vitmedics our consumer facing brand and try the Vitcheck assessment for yourself!

Take the vitcheck assessment

MIGHT MEDICATION ACCELERATE MICRONUTRIENT MALNOURISHMENT?

In terms of the medications that impact on nutrient status to any extent, the numbers of prescriptions written for them are staggering-And these numbers are all rising! So, in England alone, for example, over 1.1 billion prescriptions are written each year, with 450 million for the top 20 medications.

Of the latter, as shown to the right, a staggering 84% have the potential to impact on micronutrient/microbiota status. This would be higher, but that 24 million prescriptions relate to vitamin D.

With 50% of the UK population taking at least one prescription medicine daily; 25%-at least three drugs, 15%-five or more and 7%-eight or more medications, the potential additive effects are important to consider. This becomes even more of a problem the older people get, as 70% of over 75s take more than 3 prescription medications. Added to this, increasing life expectancy combined with more multimorbidities occurring with age, suggest individuals might experience decades of consuming numerous pharmaceuticals, and the unwanted effects they might induce on nutritional status.

Moreover, since our diet tends to deteriorate with age, as do some physiological systems such as immune function, effectively optimising nutritional intake to compensate for these potential problems can help support not only immunity but other aspects of health, such as bone strength, the ne

Of the top 20 medications prescribed in the UK

84% have the potential to impact micronutrient status

living longer, living well?

The likely impact of multiple medications on micronutrient status:

Although, we’re all living longer, as we age our health is more likely to become compromised, often by non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, mental illness and neurodegenerative conditions and their complications. Consider, for example, diabetes and its common comorbidity hypertension.

The increasing prevalence worldwide of Type II diabetes (T2D)

The prevalence of diabetes for all age groups worldwide was estimated to be 2.8% in 2000 and expected to rise to 4.4% in 2030.

This means the total number of people with diabetes is projected to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million by 2030. Whilst the prevalence of diabetes is higher in men than women and there are more women with diabetes than men, the most important demographic is the increase in incidence in the proportion of people over 65 years of age. In addition, patients with T2D experience specific deficiencies that are associated with the condition. So typically, the nutritional status of patients with type II diabetes are considered to be low in calcium, magnesium, chromium, iodine, selenium, manganese and zinc. And to make matters worse, many of these micronutrients are already low in the diet of the elderly

Mirrored by a diagnosis of hypertension

The estimated total number of adults with hypertension in 2000 was 972 million; the number of adults with hypertension in 2025 is predicted to increase by about 60% to a total of 1·56 billion. Again, a diagnosis of hypertension is more frequent in the elderly.

NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF MEDICATIONS FOR DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION

These comorbidities are likely to be treated with multiple medications, which as highlighted here will possibly impact on physiological systems such as those involved in immune response-something that may be already compromised in T2D by the poor nutritional status highlighted above, Hence the undermining effects of commonly used medications to treat these common comorbidities can be cumulative in terms of their impact on micronutrient status related to simply one critical physiological system.

HOW THE VITCHECK ASSEsSEMENT WORKS:

TRY THE VITCHECK ASSESSMENT YOURSELF

WHY IS THE VITCHECK ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT?

MIGHT MEDICATION ACCELERATE MICRONUTRIENT MALNOURISHMENT?

living longer, living well?

The likely impact of multiple medications on micronutrient status:

The increasing prevalence worldwide of Type II diabetes (T2D)

Mirrored by a diagnosis of hypertension

NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF MEDICATIONS FOR DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION

Do you want to provide your customers with personalised nutrition?

HOW THE VITCHECK ASSEsSEMENT WORKS:

TRY THE VITCHECK ASSESSMENT YOURSELF

WHY IS THE VITCHECK ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT?

MIGHT MEDICATION ACCELERATE MICRONUTRIENT MALNOURISHMENT?

living longer, living well?

The likely impact of multiple medications on micronutrient status:

The increasing prevalence worldwide of Type II diabetes (T2D)

Mirrored by a diagnosis of hypertension

NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF MEDICATIONS FOR DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION

Do you want to provide your customers with personalised nutrition?

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