Amino acids in Tanzanian children with sickle cell disease: baseline results of the Vascular Function Intervention Trial (V-FIT)

Poor nutritional status is common in SCD but there are no strategies to improve nutrition. Vascular function is also impaired and may underlie SCD related complications. V-FIT (NCT01718054) is a double blind, random order, cross over trial of a daily ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) (500 kcal, 1 RDA vits & minerals, 1mg folate, Nutriset) and the same RUSF fortified with arginine & citrulline (RUSFv, 0.2g/kg/d & 0.1g/kg/d), designed to improve growth and vascular function. Here we report baseline amino acid profiles, nutritional status and their association in children enrolled in V-FIT