Letter: Nutritional supplementation in cystic fibrosis.

Duke Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health have analyzed the 
maximum achieved heights and weights of 60 persons with CF over 
20 years old. Both parameters were markedly skewed toward the lower 
percentile bands. No significant differences were found among patients whose condition 
was diagnosed early in life, in those with more severe pulmonary 
or gastrointestinal impairment, or among those in whom pancreatic enzyme and/or 
nutritional supplementation had been employed. Nutritional supplementation has yet to be 
proven a significant long-term influence on the morbidity or mortality of 
CF. - Lober reported data on 60 persons with cystic fibrosis 
(CF) over 20 years of age, while our population of 63 
individuals contained only three who were over 15 years old. The 
median age of death in patients with CF is 12 years. 
It is not realistic to compare patients who have survived to 
adulthood with a younger group. He did not state the type 
of nutritional supplementation that was of no significance among his patients. 
Our experience with nutritional supplements other than the amino acid-glucose polymer 
mixture has been equally poor. Our data on growth rates were 
similar to those of Lober in that both heights and weights 
were skewed toward the lower end, and height was less affected 
than weight. Increased rates of linear growth were observed in eight 
of 13 children under 12 years of age at the time 
the dietary supplement was begun. Patients who continue to take the 
nutritional supplement have not shown further deterioration in pulmonary status. 