Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Serum Zinc Level in Nursing Home Elderly

Four hundred and forty-two medical charts were screened from three participating nursing homes; 53 nursing home elderly were eligible and therefore were screened for low serum zinc levels (<70µg/dL). Of these, 31 (58%) had low serum zinc levels. Participants were randomized into either the placebo (N=16) or the zinc supplemented (N=15) group. Six participants did not complete the study for various reasons including refusal to take study capsules, and advice from their physicians; one participant in the zinc group experienced nausea on two consecutive days following ingestion of the zinc capsule at the beginning of the study. A total of 25 participants completed the study with 13 and 12 receiving the placebo and zinc capsules, respectively, over a period of three months

Inclusion criteria

• Males and females ≥65 years of age.
• More than 6 months life expectancy, in the judgment of their study physician.
• Willing to be randomized to one of the treatment groups.
• Able to swallow pills.
• Not currently on antibiotics.
• Subjects consuming DRI levels of supplements and willing to replace their supplement with our control supplement.
• Supplements of calcium, vitamin D, and iron will be permitted.
• Willing to receive influenza vaccine.

Exclusion criteria

• Anticipated transfer or discharge within three months of enrollment.
• Bed- or room-bound continuously for the last three months.
• Presence of lung neoplastic diseases or other active neoplastic diseases requiring chemotherapy and/or use of immunosuppressive drugs (including no more than 10 mg/day of prednisone).
• Naso-gastric or other tube feeding.
• Long-term intravenous or urethral catheters (30 days).
• Presence of tracheostomy or chronically ventilator-dependent.
• Consuming supplements containing more than the DRI level of nutrients known to affect the immune response, i.e. vitamins E, C, B6, selenium, zinc, or β -carotene and unwilling to stop.
• Chronic prophylactic antibiotic treatment (low percent of subjects meeting other inclusion criteria). 9) Protein energy malnutrition defined as albumin < 3.0 g/dl and BMI <18 kg/m2.