Biomaterial Database

Reduced serum zinc levels and oral zinc supplementation in geriatric patients. 1985

C W Wilson, and L Myskow

Serum Zinc levels have been measured in 15 male and 64 female patients admitted to geriatric wards from home or other hospital wards. There was no significant difference between the zinc levels in the two sexes. The zinc concentrations were significantly lower in the geriatric patients than in adult patients whose serum zinc levels were measured by the same method. Levels for serum zinc did not differ significantly between the patients who had previously been receiving hospital diets in other hospital wards, and the patients admitted directly from home who had been receiving less nutritious domestic diets. Oral supplementation with zinc salts resulted in a variable response in serum zinc. It is concluded that the low serum zinc concentrations found in geriatric patients are attributable to abnormal cell metabolisms in individual patients rather than to deficient dietary intake of zinc.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000284	Administration, Oral	The giving of drugs, chemicals, or other substances by mouth.	Drug Administration, Oral,Administration, Oral Drug,Oral Administration,Oral Drug Administration,Administrations, Oral,Administrations, Oral Drug,Drug Administrations, Oral,Oral Administrations,Oral Drug Administrations
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D013054	Spectrophotometry, Atomic	Spectrophotometric techniques by which the absorption or emmision spectra of radiation from atoms are produced and analyzed.	Spectrophotometry, Atomic Absorption,AA Spectrophotometry,AE Spectrophotometry,Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry,Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry,Atomic Spectrophotometry,Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry,Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy,Spectrophotometry, Atomic Emission,AA Spectrophotometries,AE Spectrophotometries,Absorption Spectrophotometry, Atomic,Emission Spectrophotometry, Atomic,Spectrophotometries, AA,Spectrophotometries, AE,Spectrophotometry, AA,Spectrophotometry, AE
D015032	Zinc	A metallic element of atomic number 30 and atomic weight 65.38. It is a necessary trace element in the diet, forming an essential part of many enzymes, and playing an important role in protein synthesis and in cell division. Zinc deficiency is associated with ANEMIA, short stature, HYPOGONADISM, impaired WOUND HEALING, and geophagia. It is known by the symbol Zn.