The zinc level in alcoholics receiving disulfiram treatment
(1984) In Ugeskrift for Laeger 146(40). p.3034-3036- Abstract
On the basis of the theory that malnutrition leads to zinc deficiency, 36 severe alcohol addicts were investigated in a large clinic for alcoholism in Copenhagen. The serum zinc levels were registered on commencement/recommencement of treatment with disulphiram and one month later. A total of 16 patients completed the entire investigation. All of the participants in the trial were without clinical/paraclinical evidence of reduced liver function and/or histories of gastro-enterological disease. The serum zinc levels were measured, similarly, during disulphiram intake in a control group of six individuals without histories of alcoholism. The results show that one of the participants in the trial had symptoms suggestive of zinc deficiency.... (More)
On the basis of the theory that malnutrition leads to zinc deficiency, 36 severe alcohol addicts were investigated in a large clinic for alcoholism in Copenhagen. The serum zinc levels were registered on commencement/recommencement of treatment with disulphiram and one month later. A total of 16 patients completed the entire investigation. All of the participants in the trial were without clinical/paraclinical evidence of reduced liver function and/or histories of gastro-enterological disease. The serum zinc levels were measured, similarly, during disulphiram intake in a control group of six individuals without histories of alcoholism. The results show that one of the participants in the trial had symptoms suggestive of zinc deficiency. The first serum zinc values were all within the normal range or slightly above this (from 11 to 22 μmol/l). The serum zinc level increased significantly during disulphiram therapy. A similar increase was observed in the control group which is probably due to the fact that disulphiram's break-down product, dithiocarbamate, has marked metal chelating properties.
(Less)
- author
- Rasmussen, E. B. and Tonnesen, H. LU
- publishing date
- 1984
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- in
- Ugeskrift for Laeger
- volume
- 146
- issue
- 40
- pages
- 3 pages
- publisher
- Almindelige Danske Laegeforening
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:0021636951
- pmid:6515938
- ISSN
- 0041-5782
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- ee560ffa-4e2e-4118-a624-26bcd6988ba2
- date added to LUP
- 2022-10-31 18:39:57
- date last changed
- 2025-01-11 02:52:16
@article{ee560ffa-4e2e-4118-a624-26bcd6988ba2,
abstract = {{<p>On the basis of the theory that malnutrition leads to zinc deficiency, 36 severe alcohol addicts were investigated in a large clinic for alcoholism in Copenhagen. The serum zinc levels were registered on commencement/recommencement of treatment with disulphiram and one month later. A total of 16 patients completed the entire investigation. All of the participants in the trial were without clinical/paraclinical evidence of reduced liver function and/or histories of gastro-enterological disease. The serum zinc levels were measured, similarly, during disulphiram intake in a control group of six individuals without histories of alcoholism. The results show that one of the participants in the trial had symptoms suggestive of zinc deficiency. The first serum zinc values were all within the normal range or slightly above this (from 11 to 22 μmol/l). The serum zinc level increased significantly during disulphiram therapy. A similar increase was observed in the control group which is probably due to the fact that disulphiram's break-down product, dithiocarbamate, has marked metal chelating properties.</p>}},
author = {{Rasmussen, E. B. and Tonnesen, H.}},
issn = {{0041-5782}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{40}},
pages = {{3034--3036}},
publisher = {{Almindelige Danske Laegeforening}},
series = {{Ugeskrift for Laeger}},
title = {{The zinc level in alcoholics receiving disulfiram treatment}},
volume = {{146}},
year = {{1984}},
}