Table 1.
Zinc status of the elderly.
| Subjects | Zinc status | Reference |
| 204 males, 20 – 84 y. 54 females, 20 – 58 y. |
significant decrease of plasma zinc, but not erythrocyte zinc, with age | [100] |
| 146 elderly, 65–95 y. | mean plasma levels below 85 μg/dL (= 13 μM) | [102] |
| 121 elderly, 60–97 y. | Average zinc intake 7.3 mg/day, 6% had serum zinc under 70 μg/dL (= 10.7 μM) | [132] |
| 24 healthy, 69–85 y. 50 controls, 21–64 y. |
reduced plasma zinc compared to young controls | [106] |
| 20 chronically ill elderly, 70–85 y. | compared to Bunker et al. 1984 no effect on plasma and whole blood zinc, but reduction of leukocyte zinc | [107] |
| 100 elderly, 60–89 y. | 14.7% zinc deficient (<10.7 μM, plasma), >90% had intake below RDA (15 mg/ml in 1987) | [123] |
| 23 elderly, 65–85 y. 13 controls, 23–45 y. |
IL-2 production was lower in elderly with reduced leukocyte and neutrophil zinc | [126] |
| 232 hospitalized, 60–104 y. 25 free living, 69–94 y. |
serum and leukocyte zinc lower in hospitalized subjects | [122] |
| 53 healthy elderly, 64–95 y. | serum zinc decreases with age, mean serum zinc within normal range, 65% had intake less than 2/3 RDA | [105] |
| 19 healthy, 51.3 m.a. 25 healthy, 77.7 m.a. 30 hospitalized, 80.8 m.a. 34 w/ulcers, 81.3 m.a. |
plasma zinc negatively correlated with age, plasma and leukocyte zinc lower in hospitalized elderly compared to both healthy control groups | [121] |
| 30 patients, 72–98 y. 12 healthy, 75–86 y. 23 controls, 18–55 y. |
plasma zinc significantly decreased in both groups of elderly, zinc is lowered in polymorphonuclear but not mononuclear cells of elderly patients | [116] |
| 118 subjects, 50–80 y. | decrease in lymphocyte and granulocyte zinc, ~30% defined as zinc deficient | [115] |
| 21 elderly, 70–90 y. 20 young, 20–35 y. |
significantly lower serum zinc in the elderly | [89] |
| 81 hospitalized, 65–102 y. | 61% of subjects zinc deficient (<10.7 μM) | [119] |
| 345 elderly, > 70 y. | 19% had hypozincemia (<12.2 μM), values of nursing home residents significantly lower than free living | [117] |
| 29,103 subjects, NHANES III | 42.5% of ≥71 y. had adequate zinc intake | [108] |
| 62 healthy, 90–106 y. | zinc deficiency in 52% male and 41% female subjects, based on a reference range established in 20–64 y. controls | [112] |
| 44 oldest old, 90–107 y. 44 elderly, 65–89 y. 44 young, 20–64 y. |
serum zinc significantly reduced in oldest old compared to elderly and young | [101] |
| 50 hospitalized, 83.5 m.a. | 28% deficient (<10.7 μM serum zinc) | [118] |
| 13,463 subjects, NHANES II | Correlation between serum zinc and age, decline starts at age 25 | [104] |
| 10 oldest old, 93–102 y. 15 old, 65–80 y. 15 young, 20–40 y. 10 infected, 63–75 y. |
Significantly lower zinc in both groups of older subjects compared to younger ones, no decrease from old to oldest old Lowest levels found in infected patients |
[113] |
| 101 elderly, 56–83 y. | 35% zinc deficient (<90 μg/dL plasma zinc) | [33] |
| 668 hospitalized, 80.4 m.a. 105 healthy, 80.9 m.a. |
20.2% zinc deficient (<70 μg/dL (or 10.7 μM) serum zinc) in the hospitalized, none in the healthy controls | [120] |
| 188 aged, 55–70 y. 199 older 70–85 y. |
Erythrocyte zinc lower and urinary zinc higher in the older participants. Less than 5% had insufficient zinc uptake (< 2/3 RDA) | [103] |
| 93 healthy elderly, 55–70 y. | Average of 13.0 μM serum zinc | [134,139] |
| 67 elderly, 71.7 m.a. | Mean serum zinc 61.8 μg/dL (= 9.4 μM), 76.3% zinc deficient (<70 μg/dL or 10.7 μM) | [114] |
NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, RDA: Recommended Daily Allowance, y.: years, m.a.: mean age