A study of the nutritional status of 159 patients with facioscapulohumeral myopathy (FSHD), 74 women and 85 men, revealed :
- a varied and balanced diet, albeit with deficiencies in minerals and vitamins, mainly zinc and vitamins C and E,
- deficiencies in daily energy and protein intake were also reported,
- lower intakes of vitamins and minerals (zinc, copper, etc.) in adult women than in men, although their plasma levels were higher in women.
These observations are in favour of vitamin and mineral supplementation, which is also being studied as part of a clinical trial being conducted in Montpellier on the effects of antioxidants on the physical performance of 200 FSHD patients.
