A recent study highlights the importance of zinc in patients with severe liver disease, especially those suffering from a brain-related complication called hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
Conducted at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi, India, the research found that people with liver cirrhosis—a severe liver condition—often have low zinc levels, which is connected to more severe HE symptoms and higher chances of mortality.
This discovery suggests that measuring and managing zinc levels might be critical in improving health outcomes for these patients.
Dr. Divakar Kumar and his team studied 150 people with liver cirrhosis who also had HE, which is a condition that affects the brain and can cause confusion, forgetfulness, and even coma in severe cases.
The research revealed a strong link between low zinc levels and the severity of HE symptoms, measured using the West Haven criteria, a system used by doctors to grade the seriousness of HE symptoms. Patients with lower zinc levels tended to have more severe symptoms.
Across various levels of liver disease, patients with more advanced cirrhosis had notably lower zinc levels. This pattern was particularly evident in patients who did not survive, as their average serum zinc level was significantly lower (35.56) compared to those who survived (48.36).
Another interesting finding was a strong link between zinc and albumin, a protein produced by the liver. This association suggests that as zinc levels drop, albumin levels tend to decrease as well, which can signal declining liver health.
Dr. Kumar and his team recommend that all patients with liver cirrhosis and HE should be checked for zinc deficiency, especially if they also have low albumin levels.
Since low zinc levels are closely tied to higher mortality in HE patients, measuring zinc could provide useful information about a patient’s outlook and may even serve as a helpful marker for doctors to monitor disease progression.
Beyond identifying risks, the study suggests that early testing for zinc levels, followed by appropriate treatment, could help prevent the worsening of HE symptoms.
The researchers emphasize that larger studies, including case-control or randomized control trials, could further confirm these benefits.
If proven effective, zinc supplementation could become a valuable tool in treating HE and potentially extending the lives of those affected by liver cirrhosis.
These findings offer hope for a new approach in managing liver disease complications, indicating that something as simple as monitoring and adjusting zinc levels could make a significant difference in patient outcomes.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The research findings are in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
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