Low Zinc Levels Seen With Liver Cirrhosis, Hepatic Encephalopathy

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Serum zinc is often deficient in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE), according to a study published online in the September issue of the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.

Divakar Kumar, M.D., from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences Ranchi in India, and colleagues measured the serum zinc level in 150 patients with liver cirrhosis with HE.

The researchers found that the majority of patients with liver cirrhosis with HE had zinc deficiency. There was a statistically significant association between low serum zinc levels and West Haven criteria grades of HE. Across classes of cirrhosis, serum zinc levels showed highly significant differences. In patients who died, the mean serum zinc level was significantly low (35.56 versus 48.36). There was a strong positive correlation between serum zinc and serum albumin levels (r = 0.88).

“All patients with liver cirrhosis with HE and hypoalbuminemia should be evaluated for zinc deficiency. Hypozincemia is significantly associated with mortality in HE so it can also be used as a prognostic marker,” the authors write. “Early screening for serum zinc level in patients with liver cirrhosis with HE and its replacement could result in prevention of worsening of HE and can also be used in treatment of HE, which can be proved by larger study particularly a case control study or randomized control trial.”

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