Assessment of Zinc Concentration in Random Samples of the Adult Population in Shiraz, Iran
نویسندگان
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Boushehr University of Medical Sciences, Boushehr, Iran
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center
3 Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center
4 Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
doi
چکیده
Background: Zinc is an essential micronutrient for human health. However, little is known about concentration ofthis mineral among Iranian population. This study was carried out to determine the current zinc status, evaluatethe impact of certain factors like age, sex and Body Mass Index (BMI), and to verify the prevalence of zinc deficiencyamong Iranian adult population in Shiraz, southern Iran.Methods: Serum samples from 374 randomly selected healthy individuals living in Shiraz, Iran, aged 19-82years (143 males, 231 females) were collected and the serum zinc concentration was measured by Flame-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. We considered the subjects with serum zinc concentration less than 100 μg/dlas zinc deficient.Results: The serum zinc levels in females were lower than those of males with no statistically significant difference.Serum zinc concentrations were unrelated to age and BMI. It also did not change among different agesand BMI intervals.Conclusion: About 42.5% of our cases had serum zinc concentration below the cut off value of 100 μg/dl in theserum. Designing appropriate strategies for overcoming this public health problem is necessary.
