Serum zinc concentrations and characteristics of zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency among Japanese subjects

• Published in: Journal of general and family medicine Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 248 - 255
• Main Authors: Yokokawa, Hirohide, Fukuda, Hiroshi, Saita, Mizue, Miyagami, Taiju, Takahashi, Yuichi, Hisaoka, Teruhiko, Naito, Toshio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.11.2020; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Age; aging; Alcohol; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Cerebrovascular disease; Cholesterol; deficiency; epidemiology; Exercise; Health behavior; Hemoglobin; Industrialized nations; Laboratories; Lifestyles; Nutrition; Original; prevention; Proteins; Questionnaires; Standard deviation; Statistical analysis; Uric acid; Womens health; zinc; Japan; epidemiology; nutrition; aging; deficiency; zinc; prevention
• ISSN: 2189-7948; 2189-6577; 2189-7948
• DOI: 10.1002/jgf2.377

Background Studies that have examined serum zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency in developed countries, including Japan, are still limited. The aim of this study was to assess serum zinc concentrations and associated characteristics among Japanese subjects. Methods This cross‐sectional study, conducted from September 2016 to December 2018, included 2056 eligible subjects who participated in a voluntary health checkup. Serum zinc concentration categories were defined as deficiency (<60 μg/dL), marginal deficiency (≥60 to <80 μg/dL), and normal (≥80 μg/dL). Serum zinc concentrations were compared between the first age category (<40 years) and other age categories with Dunnett's method. Trends in P‐values were estimated using the Jonckheere‐Terpstra test for continuous variables. Results The proportions of subjects with deficiency and marginal deficiency were 0.4% and 46.0% in men, and 0.6% and 38.4% in women, respectively. The deficiency/marginal deficiency group had significantly lower lipid profiles and nutritional status, and a significantly lower proportion were non–daily drinkers in both genders. Older age was significantly associated with lower serum zinc concentration only in men. Conclusions Our findings clarified a high proportion of serum zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency, especially in men, and suggest a possible association between serum zinc levels and nutritional status and alcohol consumption. It may be necessary to manage nutritional status, including zinc intake. Our cross‐sectional study revealed a high proportion of zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency, with significantly more men experiencing this deficiency than women (46.4% vs 39.0%). Older age showed a negative association with serum zinc levels only in men. The deficiency/marginal deficiency group had significantly lower TC, LDL‐C, TG TP, Alb, and Hb levels, and proportion of non–daily drinker in both genders.