Zinc Deficiency Increases Pneumonia Risk in Elderly

BOSTONElderly individuals with low levels of blood zinc concentrations have a 50-percent greater risk of developing pneumonia than individuals with normal zinc concentrations, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University have been studying immune response and respiratory infections in about 600 elderly residents in 33 nursing facilities in the Boston area. They found a high proportion of the residents had low serum (blood) zinc concentrations at baseline and after one year of follow-up. All participants had been supplemented with half of the recommended dietary allowance of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc, during the trial.

As reported by Newswise, individuals with normal zinc status not only were less likely to develop pneumonia, but they also had fewer new prescriptions for antibiotics, a shorter duration of pneumonia, and fewer days of antibiotic use compared with residents who had low zinc levels. Mortality also was lower in those with adequate blood zinc levels.

The researchers suggests that supplementation of zinc-deficient elderly may result in reduced risk of pneumonia.