Nutrition in diabetes and clinical diseases

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe and understand the aetiology and epidemiology of Type 1 and Type II diabetes.
• Understand the role of nutritional and other factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes.
• Understand the clinical consequences of diabetes.
• Assess the relative contribution of nutritional, pharmacological and lifestyle factors in the management of diabetes.
• Understand the treatment of eating disorders (inc in diabetes) and the role of nutritional support.
• Understand the assessment of nutritional status and nutritional requirements in clinical disease and consider nutrition support.
• Plan and evaluate the evidence for dietary treatment of clinical disease, including nutrition support.

Indicative content includes some or all of the following topics:

• Diabetes: Classification, main features, increasing prevalence, theories in relation to refined carbohydrates.
• Mechanisms of blood sugar control and insulin action: carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
• Aetiology: Type I, insulin secretion, b-cell dysfunction; Type II, defective insulin secretion insulin, effect of fetal nutrition, link with obesity; factors affecting insulin sensitivity - genetic, nutritional, environmental, pharmacological.
• Clinical consequences of hyperglycaemia.
• Dietary management of type 2 diabetes: balancing the diet; dietary management with insulin therapy; non-starch polysaccharides; eating patterns; physical activity; weight reduction and very low-calorie diets; nutritional supplementation to enhance glucose control and minimise tissue damage, potential liabilities of nutritional supplementation.
• Treatment of type 2 diabetes with pharmacological agents: drug-nutrient interactions.
• Discussion and consideration of stigmatising language in diabetes Clinical diseases.
• Eating disorders (e.g. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia): incidence, metabolic and pathological consequences, nutritional and psychological factors in aetiology, treatment. Consideration of the co-morbidity with type 1 diabetes.
• Renal and liver disease: incidence, aetiology, pathological consequences, nutritional management.
• Cancer: incidence, prevalence, mortality, dietary risk factors.
• Nutritional management of malnutrition: nutrition support (including enteral and parenteral nutrition), nutrition assessment and malnutrition screening (including refeeding syndrome risk), nutritional requirements, micronutrients and nutrition support; general principles of nutritional support (including oral, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition) and ethical considerations.

Learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Class discussions based on lectures
• Critical evaluation of topical journal articles (group work)
• Case studies
• A module-themed lunch designed to consolidate learning during the module.

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework: a range of subject areas will be assessed, demonstrating learning outcomes across the module. The coursework questions cover a variety of approaches to test skills and knowledge and to allow you to develop areas including essay writing, data analysis, written communication skills, and practical application of knowledge. 

Formative assessment: 

• There are opportunities throughout the module for formative feedback, including during the breaks and lunches.

Feedback: 

• The module organiser will be available for further discussion as necessary.
• A Discussion Board will be available in SurreyLearn during and after the module.
• Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessments.

Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMSM042