Zinc deficiency, a problem of old age frequently not recognized
- 09.07.2002
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- Redaktion
W. O. Seiler, P. Itin, H. B. Stähelin, Basel
Malnutrition in combination with zinc deficiency is one of the most frequent comorbidities of old age. The causes are diseases or conditions such as infections, traumata, depressions, gastrointestinal lesions, alcoholism and drugs inducing a catabolic cytokine cascade. The catabolic cytokine pattern with interleukin 1ß, interleukin 6 and tumor-necrosis factor a as well as cortisol and adrenaline switch the metabolism to catabolic. The consequences are loss of appetite, dislike of meat, gluconeogenesis and reduction of muscle cells.
This leads to a reduction of daily food quantities consumed, smaller food portions, low-meat diets or diets without any meat, and, within a few weeks, to protein-energy-malnutrition and zinc deficiency. Initially, the symptoms of zinc deficiency are discrete, non-specific and escape diagnosis. Symptoms appearing later already suggest a clinical zinc deficiency: loss of appetite, weight loss, periorificial eczema, squamous, dry eczema of the skin, disturbed senses of taste and smell, higher proneness to infections, anemia, thin dry hair, stomatitis, glossitis, depression, emotional lability, apathy, irritability and dementia.Determination of the plasma zinc concentration in combination with a set of biochemical parameters, called nutrogram, allows an exact diagnosis of the degree of malnutrition and zinc deficiency. This is important for planning of an individual nutritional therapy. With an early nutritional therapy and zinc supplementation, skin affections are the first to disappear while the remaining symptoms only disappear after weeks and months.
The return of appetite and the normalization of food intake announce the change in metabolism from catablic to anabolic.
To recognize an early stage of malnutrition and zinc deficiency in geriatric patients, biochemical nutritional parameters and plasma-zinc concentration should be routinely checked at least in the medical first examination. EU07/02
Keywords: zinc deficiency / old age / malnutrition / nutrogram
Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 07/02 ab Seite 260.
