The Relationship Between Hair Zinc and Body Mass Index in Breast Cancer Patients

    January 2010 in “ Korean Journal of Family Medicine ”
    Hyun–Jeong Yoo, Yun-Sang Yoo, Soo-Hwan Jung, Yong-Sik Eum, Nam‐Seok Joo
    TLDR Breast cancer patients have lower hair zinc levels, which strongly decrease as BMI increases.
    This study investigated the relationship between hair mineral content and body mass index (BMI) in breast cancer patients compared to normal controls. The research involved 37 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and 144 age and BMI-matched controls. Results showed that breast cancer patients had lower levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and higher levels of arsenic, sodium, and potassium in their hair compared to controls. Notably, hair zinc levels were significantly reduced in breast cancer patients and showed a significant negative correlation with BMI (r = -0.705, P < 0.001), a pattern not observed in the control group. This suggested a distinct mineral pattern in breast cancer patients, particularly concerning zinc and its relationship with BMI.
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