Cross-sectional study finds serum Zn/Cu ratio linked to renal function and metabolic health in diabetes patients, suggesting new insights into diabetic care.
Background: Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic complications by mediating oxidative stress. Both Zn deficiency and excess of Cu are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the relationships between serum Zn/Cu ratio and glycemic status, renal function, and metabolic parameters in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 355 subjects (149 type 2 diabetic and 206 non-diabetic) in whom serum Zn and Cu levels were measured at the same time. Associations between serum Zn/Cu ratio and clinical data were evaluated using multiple regression analysis. We also evaluated associations between serum Zn/Cu ratio and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and glycemic control by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Serum Zn/Cu ratio was positively associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate after adjustment for BMI (β = 0.137, P = 0.014). Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels were negatively associated with serum Zn/Cu ratio after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI (β = −0.258, P = 0.032). In patients with type 2 diabetes, serum Zn/Cu ratio was negatively associated with plasma HbA1c levels after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI (β = −0.239, P = 0.003). In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the highest quartile of serum Zn/Cu ratio was associated with a reduced risk of poor (HbA1c ≥ 7%) glycemic control [odds ratio = 0.382; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.165–0.884; P = 0.025] in patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion: Serum Zn/Cu ratio was favorably associated with renal function in all subjects and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The Zn/Cu ratio, in addition to the individual serum levels of trace elements, is important for metabolism in humans.
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Hamasaki et al. (2016) studied this question.
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