The Association Between Serum Zinc Levels and Subjective Symptoms in Zinc Deficiency Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

In 2020, a study involving 578 patients with chronic liver disease found a significant correlation between low serum zinc levels and the severity of subjective symptoms. The symptoms included taste disorder, aphthous stomatitis, dermatitis, alopecia, and anorexia. As serum zinc levels decreased, the prevalence of these symptoms increased, with dermatitis being the most prevalent at 13.3%. The study also found that lower serum zinc levels were associated with older age, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, being female was independently associated with the emergence of aphthous stomatitis and alopecia, both with a prevalence of 8.0%. The study suggested that zinc supplementation could potentially alleviate these symptoms in patients with chronic liver disease.