[Effects of copper supplementation on lipid profiles in elderly patients with copper deficiency].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of copper supplementation on lipid profiles in elderly patients with copper deficiency.


METHODS
Nine long-term bed-ridden, patients (5 men and 4 women, mean age 83.3+/-8.7 years old) with severe copper deficiency, who had a serum copper of 15 microg/dL or less (normal range 70-140 microg/dL), had their diets supplemented with copper sulfate (3 mg/day) over 12 weeks in addition to their diet of only one kind of enteral food with a low concentration of copper. Copper, ceruloplasmin, total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerides (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), c-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine (Cr), zinc (Zn) and albumin (Alb) in the serum were measured before, 4 weeks and 12 weeks after copper supplementation.


RESULTS
Serum copper and ceruloplasmin were significantly increased at 4 weeks after copper supplementation. TG was significantly increased at 4 weeks after copper supplementation, but at 12 weeks the increase of TG was not significant. TC, HDL-C, CRP, Cr, Zn and Alb were not changed by copper supplementation.


CONCLUSIONS
TG was transiently increased by copper supplementation in elderly patients with copper deficiency. TC and HDL-C were not changed by copper supplementation.
Kawada
Etsuo
E
Department of General Medicine, Gunma University Hospital.
Moridaira
Kazuaki
K
Sato
Hiroko
H
Ukita
Toshiyuki
T
Itoh
Katsuhiko
K
Tatsumi
Takeshi
T
Kogure
Toshiaki
T
Tamura
Junichi
J
Sakamoto
Hironosuke
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin