title: [Comparison of serum concentrations of trace elements in healthy free-living and hospitalized oldest-old].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine differences in concentration of trace elements in serum between healthy free-living and hospitalized oldest-old people aged > or = 85 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 33 healthy free-living oldest-olds (18 men, 15 women, aged 85-91 years, mean age: 87.3 +/- 1.7 years) selected at annual health examination and 40 hospitalized oldest-olds (14 men, 26 women, aged 85-92 years, mean age: 87.8 +/- 2.2 years). The serum concentrations of managanese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) (microgram/ml) were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and colorimetric method. Differences between groups for serum concentration of trace elements were assessed with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated with reference to clinical examination data in the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1) The concentrations of Ca, Mg, P and Zn were significantly higher in the healthy free-living than in the hospitalized, especially in the P and Zn case. The Cu/Zn ratio was significantly lower in the healthy free-living. 2) The Zn concentration was positively correlated with the Ca concentration, and the P concentration with the total cholesterol level in both groups. Zn was one of the elements demonstrating good correlations with other parameter. Especially in the healthy free-living, the Zn concentration was high positively associated with the Fe concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the serum concentrations of trace elements in the healthy free-living are higher than in the hospitalized oldest-old, especially in the P and Zn case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakamoto
authors.forename: Teruyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aramaki
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kunitsugu
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: Setsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayakawa
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanayama
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugi
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hobara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D010758:Phosphorus; D015032:Zinc