Condition triggered by severe deficiency of vitamin C is linked to food insecurity, says report
Oct 07, 2024
Scurvy is a disease that likely conjures up images of sickly sailors from hundreds of years ago, but doctors in Canada are being warned to look out for the condition now, as a result of growing food insecurity.
A report published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) details the case study of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with scurvy at a Toronto hospital last year.
The authors say the case points to the need for physicians to consider the possibility of scurvy, particularly among patients at higher risk for nutrient deficiencies, including people with low socioeconomic status and isolated older adults.
“This isn’t the first case of scurvy that I’ve seen in my career so far,” said Dr. Sally Engelhart, the study’s lead author and an internal medicine specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
Scurvy results from having a severe deficiency of vitamin C. Natural sources of vitamin C — also known as ascorbic acid — include citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, and vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/scurvy-canadian-medical-association-journal-food-insecurity-1.7343724