Zinc deficiency
| Zinc deficiency | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Zinc | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | endocrinology |
| ICD-10 | E60 |
| ICD-9-CM | 269.3 |
| DiseasesDB | 14272 |
Zinc deficiency can occur in soil, plants, and animals. In animals, including humans, it is defined either qualitatively as insufficient zinc to meet the needs of the body and thereby causing clinical manifestations, or quantitatively as a serum zinc level below the normal range; however, serum zinc is not a reliable biomarker for zinc status in humans, as a decrease in serum concentration is only detectable after long-term or severe depletion. Novel zinc biomarkers, such as the erythrocyte LA:DGLA ratio, have shown promise in pre-clinical and clinical trials and are being developed to more accurately detect dietary zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency affects about 2.2 billion people around the world.
Zinc deficiency in humans results from reduced dietary intake, inadequate absorption, increased loss, or increased use. The most common cause is reduced dietary intake; as much as 25% of the world's population is at risk. Increasing the amount of zinc in the soil and thus in crops is an effective preventative measure. Zinc plays an essential role in numerous biochemical pathways. It affects many organ systems, including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, and immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems. A lack of zinc thus has numerous manifestations, the most common of which are an increased rates of diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria.
Zinc deficiency affects about 2.2 billion people around the world. Zinc deficiency can be classified as acute, as may occur during prolonged inappropriate zinc-free total parenteral nutrition; or chronic, as may occur in dietary deficiency or inadequate absorption. Lactation, alcoholism, old age, and metabolic disorders are associated with zinc deficiency in adults.
Zinc deficiency may manifest as acne,eczema,xerosis (dry, scaling skin),seborrheic dermatitis, or alopecia (thin and sparse hair). There may also be impaired wound healing.
Zinc deficiency can manifest as non-specific oral ulceration, stomatitis, or white tongue coating. Rarely it can cause angular cheilitis (sores at the corners of the mouth) and burning mouth syndrome.
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