Diverse clinical manifestations of nutrition-related diseases

Are there more effective, tailored approaches for preventing and treating diverse disease phenotypes and comorbidities observed in the epidemiological transition and dual burden of malnutrition?

My earlier work sought to elucidate the diabetes and active tuberculosis (TB) disease comorbidity, which has been observed among people residing in many low- and middle-income countries (with Dr. Saurabh Mehta at Cornell University). Among Indian patients with confirmed or suspected active TB disease, over 80% of adult participants had low BMI and waist circumference, which indicated low risk in diabetes screening [1]; however approximately one-third of these participants had elevated HbA1c (≥ 5.7%) [1]. In a separate study of patients with confirmed active tuberculosis disease in southern India, diabetes was associated with a three-fold greater risk of drug (rifampin) resistance [2]. These findings emphasized the need for integrated diabetes surveillance in TB programs, particularly in geographic regions undergoing the epidemiological transition.
 
Selected Publications
1.    Yu EA, Finkelstein JL, Brannon PM, Bonam W, Russell DG, Glesby MJ, Mehta S. Nutritional assessment among adult patients with suspected or confirmed active tuberculosis disease in rural India. PLoS One, 2020. 15(5): e0233306.
2.            Mehta S, Yu EA, Ahamed SF, Bonam W, Kenneth J. Rifampin resistance and diabetes mellitus in a cross-sectional study of adult patients in rural South India. BMC Infect Dis, 2015. 15:  451.