Ratio of low serum zinc levels in elderly Japanese people living in the central part of Japan.
OBJECTIVE
Elderly patients often have impaired taste, nausea, anorexia and delayed healing of decubitus. In many of these patients, serum zinc levels are low and they respond to zinc supplementation. To date, no epidemics of zinc deficiency have been reported in Japan. We studied the prevalence of zinc deficiency and its causative factors in a typical local town in Japan.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Nagano Prefecture (central Japan).


METHODS
Serum zinc levels were measured in 1009 habitants (18-96 years old) who participated in an annual mass health examination program of the City in 2003. Of all subjects, 86 with low serum zinc (<65 microg/dl) or high zinc (> or =90 microg/dl) levels were randomly selected, and a dietary survey using 24-h recalling methods for 2 consecutive days was performed in 2004. Among them, blood was collected in the morning from 50 subjects (26-94 years old).


RESULTS
The percentage of those with low serum zinc levels (2.5th percentile of Americans) was 37.9% in the elderly (> or =60 years old). The age-adjusted prevalence of low serum zinc was 21.1% in the aged population. A positive correlation was detected between zinc intake and serum zinc levels in elderly subjects (> or =60 years old).


CONCLUSIONS
The possibility of zinc deficiency in adult inhabitants in central Japan rises with age. The deficiency correlates with dietary zinc intake.
Kogirima
M
M
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Doshisha Women's College, Kyoto, Japan. mkogirim@dwc.doshisha.ac.jp
Kurasawa
R
R
Kubori
S
S
Sarukura
N
N
Nakamori
M
M
Okada
S
S
Kamioka
H
H
Yamamoto
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*
D014131:Trace Elements; D015032:Zinc