Topic: Zinc Supplementation May Help Protect Against Atherosclerosis

Reference: “Zinc decreases C-reactive protein, lipid peroxidation, and inflammatory cytokines in elderly subjects: a potential implication of zinc as an atheroprotective agent,” Bao B, Cardozo LJ, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2010 Apr 28; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Internal Medicine School of Medicine Wayne State University Detroit MI, USA).
 
Summary: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 40 healthy elderly subjects (aged 56-83 years old), results indicate that zinc supplementation may exert atheroprotective effects. The subjects were randomized to 45 mg zinc daily or placebo for a period of 6 months. At intervention end, zinc supplemented subjects showed decreased concentrations of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), secretory phospholipase A2, and malondialdehyde and hydroxyalkenals (MDA+HAE). Additionally, cell culture studies showed that zinc supplementation decreased the generation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1beta, VCAM-1, and MDA+HAE and the activation of nuclear transcription factor kappaB and increased antiinflammatory proteins A20 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha in human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells and human aortic endothelial cells. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “These findings suggest that zinc may have a protective effect in atherosclerosis because of its antiinflammatory and antioxidant functions.”