Plasma zinc and copper levels in children of families with history of cardio-vascular disease

Zinc and copper are beneficial to health, growth and development, and also for the prevention of cardiovascular- disease (CVD) with regard to improved dietary habits as a preliminary step in CVD prevention. This study was conducted among 2-18-year old children with significant family risk for premature CVD in comparison to controls.

Materials and Methods: One hundred randomly selected children of parents who had premature myocardial infarctions were included in the study. The controls were 100 individuals randomly selected from the case group's neighbors and matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status. A four-day food record questionnaire was used to assess zinc and copper intakes

Results: The daily average intake of zinc was significantly lower in the case than in the control group (6.89±2.97 vs. 8.30±2.45 mg, P=0.047). The mean serum zinc level was not significantly different between both groups (82.12±14.1 vs. 92.26±23.7 μg/dL, P>0.05). The daily intake and serum level of copper were not significantly different between the case and the control groups. No case of copper deficiency was found. The mean systolic blood pressure was not significantly different between the zinc-deficient and zinc-sufficient subjects.

Although the mean diastolic blood pressure of the former was higher than the latter, there was no statistically significant difference. About 23.7% of all studied sample had mild to moderate degrees of failure to thrive, with significantly lower daily intake and serum zinc level than other subjects (5.41±1.06 mg, 82.09±12.74 μg/dL vs. 6.89±2.14 mg, 99.25±27.15 μg/dL, respectively, P<0.05).

Conclusion: We propose that children, especially those with significant family risk of premature CVD, place increased emphasis on the consumption of foods rich in zinc.

Key-words:

Zinc - copper - premature cardiovascular disease - blood pressure

Publication History

Received: 22 December 2009

Accepted: 15 March 2010

Article published online:
23 May 2022