Praktické lekárnictvo 2/2015

Treatment and preventive use of zinc

Since the discovery of the essential importance of zinc for the human body, we record intense interest about cell functions or therapeutic uses of this element. While in 1963 only three Zn-dependent enzymes were known, today it is more than 300 enzymes and more than 1,000 transcription factors, which for their activities require zinc. Nutritional or conditional zinc deficiency is relatively common and can manifest clinically by growth retardation, cognitive impairment or dysfunction of cellular immunity. Zinc has been used successfully in the management of acute diarrhea in children, Wilson’s disease, common colds, as prevention of blindness in patients with age-related macular degeneration or in the elimination of infections in the elderly. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of zinc may be usefully used in the therapy and prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases or autoimmune diseases. The organism is dependent on a regular and sufficient intake of zinc from food, but in special cases it is appropriate to use formulations containing zinc, especially in the form of OTC drugs.

Keywords: zinc, zinc deficiency, inflammation, common cold.