Research Objective

Dr. Gletsu Miller’s research aims to improve the nutritional and metabolic health of individuals who obese are undergoing bariatric surgery and lifestyle intervention. The laboratory specializes in nutritional assessment and uses anthropometrical, biochemical, dietary and clinical approaches to characterize malnutrition in bariatric surgery patients and obese adolescents.

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COMPLETED RESEARCH

To summarize her published works, in individuals who are severely obese, Dr. Gletsu Miller’s studies demonstrated that the sagittal abdominal diameter is a better measure of hyperglycemia compared to waist circumference. In patients who have had bariatric surgery, her research demonstrated the risks of nutritional deficiency in copper and iron, essential fatty acids and B-vitamins, the biological and dietary factors that predict development of deficiency in these essential nutrients, as well as the underlying mechanisms that promote deficiency. Her research has revealed the importance of dietary intake from food and supplements regarding the nutritional status of bariatric surgery patients. In addition, her laboratory has provided new empirical data regarding the effectiveness of oral iron supplementation for treatment of iron deficiency following bariatric surgery.

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ONGOING RESEARCH

Ongoing research in the Gletsu Miller laboratory focuses on the need to enhance protocols for screening for and evaluation of treatment of malnutrition following bariatric surgery. Examples are: 1) evaluation of a sensitive biomarker for copper deficiency; 2) development of a novel analytical method for simultaneous assessment of B-vitamins using mass spectrometry, and 3) providing a detailed characterization of functional outcomes of iron deficiency and repletion in bariatric surgery patients. In adolescents who are obese, research addresses the role of lifestyle behaviors on the development of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Her findings demonstrated associations between excessive consumption of foods that are high in fat and sugar and hyperglycemia in obese adolescents. These findings are important because they demonstrate a direct role of diet, independent of obesity, on diabetes risk in adolescents. The implication of her findings is that specific foods which contribute to diabetes risk can be targeted in interventions to improve glucose homeostasis in teenagers who are obese. Based on these findings, Dr. Gletsu Miller is evaluating a targeted dietary approach in an ongoing clinical trial, which addresses a critical need for effective lifestyle interventions that reverse T2D in adolescents.