Medicine Lec-4: Vitamin A Deficiency Consequences

Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to blindness in young children.

Adults are at risk of vitamin A deficiency due to limited liver stores.

Keratinisation of the cornea due to vitamin A deficiency leads to irreversible blindness.

Pregnant women in countries with vitamin A deficiency should be advised to eat dark green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits.

Repeated moderate or high doses of retinol can lead to liver damage and teratogenicity.

Excessive intake of carotene can cause pigmentation of the skin (hypercarotenosis); this gradually fades when intake is increased.

Vitamin D occurs in large quantities in most foods, except oily fish, so the amount present in average diets is sufficient to meet requirements.

Lack of cholecalciferol results in reduced hepatic production of 25(OH)D3 and thus reduced renal production of the biologically active metabolite 1,25(OH)2 D3.

Vitamin D deficiency in children causes delayed development, muscle hypertonia, and early closure of the anterior fontanelle.

Osteomalacia in adults presents insidiously and is always asymptomatic.

Vitamin A deficiency can lead to irreversible blindness in young children.

Vitamin A toxicity can cause hyperostosis and liver damage.

Vitamin A deficiency is usually a risk for adults due to limited liver stores.

Pregnant women in countries with endemic vitamin A deficiency should be advised to eat dark green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits to build up stores of retinol in the fetal liver.

WHO gives high priority to prevention of xerophthalmia by administering prophylactic oral doses of 60 mg retinyl palmitate to pre-school children.

Excessive intake of carotene can cause pigmentation of the skin, which gradually fades when intake is reduced. True or False?

Vitamin D deficiency in children can cause delayed development, muscle hypotonia, and swelling of the rib costochondral junctions. True or False?

Osteomalacia in adults is always asymptomatic. True or False?

Lack of cholecalciferol leads to reduced hepatic production of 25(OH)D3 and reduced renal production of the biologically active metabolite 1,25(OH)2 D3. True or False?

Retinol intake may need to be restricted in individuals at risk of osteoporosis. True or False?