This study investigated whether subfertile women undergoing ovulation induction using standard treatment regimens with clomiphene citrate/gonadotrophins have higher pregnancy rates when on an adjuvant multiple micronutrient (MMN) nutritional supplement compared with folic acid alone. A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted in a teaching-hospital fertility clinic on 58 subfertile women, of which 56 women completed the study. Women undergoing ovulation induction were allocated to either receive adjuvant MMN supplementation or folic acid. Clinical pregnancy rates and blood nutrient concentrations were assessed after the third treatment attempt or as soon as the women achieved pregnancy. Using intention-to-treat analysis, it was observed that women on adjuvant MMN supplementation had a significantly higher cumulative clinical pregnancy rate (66.7%) compared with those on folic acid (39.3%; P = 0.013). The ongoing pregnancy rate in women on MMN supplementation was 60.0% versus 25.0% (P < 0.02) in the folic-acid group. Further, women who were on MMN supplementation had significantly fewer attempts to achieve pregnancy compared with women on folic acid (P < 0.001). The results of this pilot study suggest that women who take adjuvant MMN supplementation during ovulation induction have a higher chance of pregnancy compared with women on folic acid.

Fifty-one adult male outpatients at or below ideal body weight (IBW) with no history of weighing more than 15% over IBW in the past 5 yr and no more than 25% in the past 15 yr were randomly assigned to a traditional calorically defined exchange-type diet (EXCH) or an unmeasured diet emphasizing avoidance of refined sugar and balance of food consumption throughout the day. All but 4 patients were insulin treated. With the exception of one patient in each group, all patients were classified as having type II diabetes. Subjects were followed in a single-blind design for 4 yr in the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic every 3 mo. The average mean fasting glycemia (FBS), coefficient of FBS variation, number of reported hypoglycemic reactions, mean fasting serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and mean total daily insulin dosage were similar in both groups. Each patient's mean daily caloric intake did vary over time, but there was no difference in mean caloric intake between diet groups. There was a significant correlation between a patient's mean FBS rating and his serum triglyceride level: patients with lower mean FBS had a significantly lower mean triglyceride level than patients with higher FBS. Overall body weights remained stable throughout the study. However, there was a significant difference in the number of patients in the EXCH group whose actual weight was 3% or more above IBW on 50% or more of their visits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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