Table 1.
Prevalence and symptoms of copper deficiency in roux-en-y gastric bypass patients at the Emory Bariatric Center
| Characteristic | Number (percent) |
|---|---|
| N | 13 |
| Gender | |
| Female | 13 |
| Ethnicity | |
| African American | 6 |
| Caucasian | 7 |
| Months post surgery | |
| 0 to 11.9 months | 5 (38%) |
| 12 to 35.9 months | 5 (38%) |
| 36 to 60 months | 3 (23%) |
| Serum copper (µg dl−1) | 59.2 ± 4.6 |
| Hematological symptoms | |
| Anemia | 6 (46%) |
| Leukopenia | 2 (15%) |
| Fatigue | 5 (38%) |
| Neurological symptoms | 5 (38%) |
The demographic and symptom data of 13 patients in study 1 with deficient copper status is presented. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <114 g l−1; leukopenia was defined as white blood cell count <3.6 × 109 l−1. When present, fatigue and neurological symptoms including weakness, not ambulatory, paraesthesia, carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling, joint pain and myalgias were noted in the patient’s charts.