Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency

Metabolism is a set of biochemical processes that take place in the human body. Enzymes play an important role in this.
Metabolism includes processes to build up muscles and tissue, to maintain tissue and of course also to provide energy for the body.

In MCAD deficiency there is a problem with providing energy, and more specifically with providing energy from breaking down fats.

This chapter explains how the fat metabolism works. MCAD deficiency is a problem with one specific enzyme necessary for the breaking down of fats.
Read more on the fat metabolism >

Carnitine is a substance that plays an important role in the fat metabolism. Every patient with MCAD deficiency will sooner or later be confronted with carnitine.
Read more about carnitine >

Finally every patient with MCAD deficiency is told not to go too long without food. But why is that?
There are different processes in the body that take place after a meal. I called this the "fed-fast cycle". In this chapter is explained what these processes are and why it will go wrong at a certain moment for a patient with MCAD deficiency.
Read more about fed-fast cycle >