Forskningsprofil

My applied research focuses on nutritional status in disease-related malnutrition across populations, inflammatory diseases and intestinal failure.

Disease related malnutrition: My research focus on disease related malnutrition takes offset and is highly clinically relevant in a multitude of populations and diagnoses, in primary and secondary sectors, as well as between sectors. Over the years, my research has provided documentation that early detection of malnutrition among the sick and elderly is essential, and early intervention is crucial for the effect of nutritional treatment. Early detection cannot stand alone, as the further investigation of metabolic state, co-morbidities and factors that affect the individual’s ability to eat, is crucial to best possibly provide the right nutritional efforts. Nutrition efforts must be done with the involvement of the patient or the elderly themselves and with the involvement of relatives and health care staff, as required. Nutritional status is inextricably linked to functional level and any effort with nutrition should have an element of attention to physical activity and maintaining functional level. Inequality in health should be a point of attention in all nutritional research and research about physical activity, since there is a big difference in how new habits are acquired and implemented, and especially during illness and lack of excess. Also, treatment offered to citizens and patients throughout the health care system including all sectors has shown very inequal, even in Denmark.

Given the increasing number of people with inflammatory diseases, my research over the past years has increasingly taken interest into how to best support the individual in implementing a better life with illness, through nutrition and exercise. Recent work thus includes diet and exercise interventions that engage patients in reducing inflammation. The research is aimed at sustainable solutions for both patients and the healthcare settings in which they are treated, focusing on feasibility, relevance and personal benefit for all participants. Thus, my later studies in inflammatory bowel disease including nutrition and exercise in smaller feasibility samples, has shown that an individually, supervised change of diet into an anti-inflammatory diet is feasible and beneficial to self-perceived disease activity, and that exercise with an individual program is able to reduce fatigue.

My applied research focuses on nutritional status in disease-related malnutrition across populations, inflammatory diseases and intestinal failure.

Disease related malnutrition: My research focus on disease related malnutrition takes offset and is highly clinically relevant in a multitude of populations and diagnoses, in primary and secondary sectors, as well as between sectors. Over the years, my research has provided documentation that early detection of malnutrition among the sick and elderly is essential, and early intervention is crucial for the effect of nutritional treatment. Early detection cannot stand alone, as the further investigation of metabolic state, co-morbidities and factors that affect the individual’s ability to eat, is crucial to best possibly provide the right nutritional efforts. Nutrition efforts must be done with the involvement of the patient or the elderly themselves and with the involvement of relatives and health care staff, as required. Nutritional status is inextricably linked to functional level and any effort with nutrition should have an element of attention to physical activity and maintaining functional level. Inequality in health should be a point of attention in all nutritional research and research about physical activity, since there is a big difference in how new habits are acquired and implemented, and especially during illness and lack of excess. Also, treatment offered to citizens and patients throughout the health care system including all sectors has shown very inequal, even in Denmark.

Given the increasing number of people with inflammatory diseases, my research over the past years has increasingly taken interest into how to best support the individual in implementing a better life with illness, through nutrition and exercise. Recent work thus includes diet and exercise interventions that engage patients in reducing inflammation. The research is aimed at sustainable solutions for both patients and the healthcare settings in which they are treated, focusing on feasibility, relevance and personal benefit for all participants. Thus, my later studies in inflammatory bowel disease including nutrition and exercise in smaller feasibility samples, has shown that an individually, supervised change of diet into an anti-inflammatory diet is feasible and beneficial to self-perceived disease activity, and that exercise with an individual program is able to reduce fatigue.