Evaluation Of Drug Addicts’ Nutrition And Examination Of Serum Ghrelin And Leptin In Drug Addicts

Objective:Drugs may cause a variety of diseases. Most drug addicts have gastrointestinal symptoms, affecting the nutritional status of drug addicts and leading to malnutrition. Malnutrition can interfere with the rehabilitation of drug addicts and cause relapses. Therefore, it is great significance to know well the nutritional status of drug addicts and then give nutrition therapy. Ghrelin and Leptin are two hormones involved in energy metabolism, and can interfere with the body’s nutritional status.To explore malnutrition-related mechanisms and provide doctors new ideas,this study investigated drug addicts’gastrointestinal symptoms and clinical data, evaluated their nutritional status, and examined their serum Ghrelin and Leptin concentrations.Method:The "psychoactive substance abuse questionnaire" and MNA (mini nutritional assessment) questionnaire were used to investigate the nutritional status of100drug addicts. And serum Ghrelin and Leptin were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent adsorption (ELISA), and25normal subjects as control.Result:100addicts is consisited of60heroin addicts and40methamphetamine addicts. In60heroin addicts, there were chasing dragon23cases, intramascular drug user10cases, intravenous drug user27cases, with taking time from12to158months. Gastrointestinal symptoms were constipation53cases (88.3%), vomiting50cases (83.3%), diarrhea38cases (63.3%), abdominal distension15cases (25%), and abdominal pain20cases (33.3%). As for their nutritional status, there were40cases with malnutrtion (66.7%),19cases with malnutrtion risk (31.7%), only1case with good nutrition (1.6%). All40methamphetamine addicts smoked meth with a special instrument "ice pot", with taking time from2to40months. Gastrointestinal symptoms were constipation20cases (50.0%), vomiting18cases (45.0%), diarrhea11cases (27.5%), abdominal distension16cases (40.0%), and abdominal pain9cases (22.5%). As for their nutritional status, there were24cases with malnutrtion (60.0%),9cases with malnutrtion risk (22.5%), and7case with good nutrition (17.5%). The incidence of the risk of malnutrtion was correlated with gastrointestinal symptoms and heroin (p<0.05).The level of serum Ghrelin in drug addicts was significantly lower than that in the control group (640.49±93.57pg/ml vs1072.12±209.5pg/ml, p<0.05), in methamphetamine addicts was higher than in heroin addicts (p<0.05), in non-gastrointestinal symptoms group was higher than in gastrointestinal symptoms group (p<0.05), in non-malnourished group was higher than in malnutrition group (p <0.05), and in good nutrition group was higher than in malnutrtion risk group (p <0.05).The level of serum Leptin in drug addicts was significantly higher than that in the control group (463.96±96.72pg/ml vs333.47±77.47pg/ml The p<0.05), than in heroin addicts was higher than in methamphetamine addicts (p<0.05), in gastrointestinal symptoms group was higher than in non-gastrointestinal symptoms group (p<0.05), in malnutrition group was higher than in non-malnourished group (p<0.05), and in malnutrtion risk group was higher than in good nutrition group (p <0.05).Conclusion:Most drug addicts had gastrointestinal symptoms and were in malnutrition or malnutrtion risk status. These indicate it is very important for drug addicts to know well the nutritional status of drug addicts and then give them nutrition therapy. The level of serum Ghrelin and Leptin in drug addicts had changed. That suggests that Ghrelin and Leptin may be involved in the process of drug addicts malnutrition.