Reduced serum zinc levels and oral zinc supplementation in geriatric patients.

Serum Zinc levels have been measured in 15 male and 64 female patients admitted to geriatric wards from home or other hospital wards. There was no significant difference between the zinc levels in the two sexes. The zinc concentrations were significantly lower in the geriatric patients than in adult patients whose serum zinc levels were measured by the same method. Levels for serum zinc did not differ significantly between the patients who had previously been receiving hospital diets in other hospital wards, and the patients admitted directly from home who had been receiving less nutritious domestic diets. Oral supplementation with zinc salts resulted in a variable response in serum zinc. It is concluded that the low serum zinc concentrations found in geriatric patients are attributable to abnormal cell metabolisms in individual patients rather than to deficient dietary intake of zinc.