Association of Serum Levels of Zinc, Copper, and Iron with Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

The association between serum concentrations of zinc, copper, or iron and the risk of metabolic syndrome are inconclusive. Therefore, we conduct a case-control study to explore the relationship between serum levels of zinc, copper, or iron and metabolic syndrome as well as each metabolic factor and insulin resistance. We enrolled 1165 adults, aged ≥ 40 (65.8 ± 10) years in a hospital-based population to compare the serum levels of zinc, copper, and iron between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome by using multivariate logistic regression analyses. The least square means were computed by general linear models to compare serum concentrations of zinc, copper, and iron in relation to the number of metabolic factors. The mean serum concentrations of zinc, copper, and iron were 941.91 ± 333.63 μg/L, 1043.45 ± 306.36 μg/L, and 1246.83 ± 538.13 μg/L, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of metabolic syndrome for the highest versus the lowest quartile were 5.83 (95% CI: 3.35–10.12; p for trend < 0.001) for zinc, 2.02 (95% CI: 1.25–3.25; p for trend: 0.013) for copper, and 2.11 (95% CI: 1.24–3.62; p for trend: 0.021) for iron after adjusting for age, sex, personal habits, body mass index, and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance. Additionally, the serum zinc, copper, and iron concentrations increased as the number of metabolic factors rose (p for trend < 0.001). This was the first study to clearly demonstrate that higher serum levels of zinc, copper, and iron were associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome and the number of metabolic factors independent of BMI and insulin resistance.

The Levels of Bioelements in Postmenopausal Women with Metabolic Syndrome

“…It is worth noting that Luciano-Mateo et al [ 27 ] observed reduced levels of Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, and Zn and increased levels of some trace elements in serum (e.g., Sr) in women with giant obesity. In a study by Lu et al [ 73 ], higher serum levels of Zn, Cu, and Fe were associated with the risk of MetS. In addition, serum levels of Zn, Cu, and Fe increased with a rise in the number of metabolic factors ( p < 0.001).…”

“…The IMMIDIET study in Europe and the NHANES study in Korea [ 74 ] found no association between serum Zn levels and MetS. In contrast, Lu et al [ 73 ] reported a strong positive association between Zn and MetS, suggesting impaired Zn homeostasis in patients with MetS in addition to insulin resistance and obesity.…”

Curcuminoids for Metabolic Syndrome: Meta-Analysis Evidences Toward Personalized Prevention and Treatment Management

“…Serum copper and zinc and the ratio of Zn/Cu are often used to identify oxidative stress and inflammation ( 119 , 120 ). Furthermore, protein chaperones, such as heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly expressed during oxidative stress ( 121 ).…”

“…Furthermore, protein chaperones, such as heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly expressed during oxidative stress ( 121 ). Some recent studies reported the effects of curcumin and its derivatives on some oxidative stress markers in MS patients ( 122 ), for instance, serum copper, zinc, and trace elements are elevated in patients with MS compared to healthy subjects ( 120 ). A double-blind clinical trial of 120 subjects with MS reported increased serum zinc and Zn/Cu ratio after administration of curcumin and phospholipid curcumin complex at a dose of 1 g/day for 6 weeks ( 123 ).…”

The Fire Under the Ash: Parasitic infections as potential risk factors for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children

“…The last 2 ml were examined for the levels of micronutrients in serum (zinc (Zn), iron, and copper (Cu) levels) by using the Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES Optima 2X00/7000 Series DV, PerkinElmer, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA). Results were expressed as µg/dl (Lu et al 2021).…”