Lower serum zinc levels are associated with unhealthy metabolic status in normal-weight adults: The 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - 21/04/15

Doi : 10.1016/j.diabet.2015.03.005

H.K. Yang ^a,^b,^{^{1
These authors contributed equally to this work.}}, S.H. Lee ^a,^b,^{^{1
These authors contributed equally to this work.}}, K. Han ^c, B. Kang ^a,^b, S.Y. Lee ^d, K.H. Yoon ^a,^b, H.S. Kwon ^a,^⁎,^e,^{^{2
Tel.: +82 2 3779 1039; fax: +82 2 785 5655.}} , Y.M. Park ^f,^⁎
^a Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
^b Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Republic of Korea
^c Department of Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
^d Division of AIDS, Center for Immunology and Pathology, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Seoul, Republic of Korea
^e Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, #62 Yeouido-dong, Youngdeungpo-gu, 150-713, Seoul, Korea
^f Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915, Greene Street, 29208 Columbia, SC, USA

^⁎Corresponding authors. Tel.: +1 803 800 4549; fax: +1 803 777 2524.

En prensa. Pruebas corregidas por el autor. Disponible en línea desde el Tuesday 21 April 2015
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Abstract

Aim

This study investigated whether serum zinc concentration is associated with glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and metabolic health status in Korean adults.

Methods

Subjects with available serum zinc levels were recruited from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANESV) cohort. Those in the highest quartile on homoeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5–25kg/m² were classified as metabolically obese and normal weight (MONW).

Results

A total of 1813 subjects with a mean age of 45.2±0.5 years and a mean BMI of 24.01±0.11kg/m² were enrolled. Those in the lower serum zinc quartiles exhibited higher levels of fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance indices compared with those in the higher quartiles. However, these associations were positive only in normal-weight subjects. Those categorized as MONW exhibited significantly lower serum zinc levels than the metabolically healthy and normal weight (MHNW) subjects (131.6±3.0μg/dL vs 141.7±2.8μg/dL, respectively; P=0.0026), whereas serum zinc levels did not differ according to metabolic health in obese subjects. The odds ratio for being categorized as MONW was 4.12 (95% CI: 1.75, 9.72) among those in the lowest serum zinc quartile compared with those in the highest quartile even after adjusting for possible confounding factors.

Conclusion

Lower serum zinc levels were associated with unhealthy metabolic status in normal-weight adults. Further prospective studies are required to define the role of zinc in metabolic health.

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Keywords : Diabetes mellitus, Insulin resistance, Korea, Metabolic health, Obesity, Zinc

Abbreviations : BMI, BP, CI, DM, HDL, HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, IFG, KNHANES, LDL, MHNW, MHO, MONW, MOO, NGT, OR, QUICKI, SE, WC