NCT01599572

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

Zinc Intervention in Nursing Home Elderly

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 31 (actual)
• Sponsor: Tufts University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Background: Zinc supplementation has the potential to improve serum zinc levels and immunity of zinc deficient nursing home elderly. Objective: To determine the effect of zinc supplementation of 30mg/d for 3 months on serum zinc levels and T-cell mediated function of zinc deficient nursing home elderly. Design: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Outcome measures included change in serum zinc levels and various T-cell mediated immune factors between baseline and month 3. Hypotheses: The investigators hypothesize that zinc supplementation of 30mg/d for 3 months will improve serum zinc levels as well as various T-cell mediated immune factors in zinc deficient nursing home elderly.

Detailed description

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

Conditions

• Disorder of Immune Function

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	zinc supplementation	30mg/day of zinc in the form of zinc gluconate

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-07-01
• Primary completion: 2011-01-01
• Completion: 2011-01-01
• First posted: 2012-05-16
• Last updated: 2015-05-21