Zinc and
copper are beneficial to health, growth and development, and also for the prevention of
cardiovascular disease (CVD) with regards to improved dietary habits as a preliminary step in CVD prevention. This study was conducted among 2-18-year-old children with high family risk of premature CVD in comparison to controls.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred randomly selected children whose parents had premature
myocardial infarction were included in the study. The controls were 100 individuals randomly selected from the case group's neighbors and matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. A four-day food record questionnaire was used to assess
zinc and
copper intakes, and their serum levels were determined using Flame-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The data were analyzed by SPSS/Windows V6 software, using the Student's t and Mantel-Hanzel tests. Significance of differences was considered at P<0.05.
RESULTS: The daily
zinc intake was significantly lower in the case than control group (6.89+/-2.97 vs. 8.30+/-2.45 mg, P=0.047). The mean serum
zinc level was not significantly different between both groups (82.12+/-14.1 vs. 92.26+/-23.7 microg/dL, P>0.05).
Zinc deficiency was more prevalent among the case in boys than their controls (58% vs. 18%, P=0.04). This difference was not significantly in girls (44% vs. 40%). The daily intake and serum level of
copper were not significantly different between the case and control groups. No case of
copper deficiency was found. The mean systolic blood pressure was not significantly different between the
zinc-deficient and
zinc-sufficient subjects. Although the mean diastolic blood pressure of the former was higher than the latter, there was no statistically significant difference. About 23.7% of all studied sample had mild-to-moderate degrees of
failure to thrive, with significantly lower daily intake and serum
zinc level than other subjects (5.14+/-1.06 mg, 82.09+/-12.74 microg/dL vs. 6.89+/-2.14 mg, 99.25+/-27.15 microg/dL, respectively, P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: It is recommended that emphasis be placed on the consumption of food rich in
zinc by children, especially those with high family risk of premature CVD.