EFFECT OF ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION ON BONE DENSITY AND MINERAL CONTENT IN PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY.
Zinc, bone health, muscular dystrophies.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on the density and bone mineral content in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Thirty-four volunteers (5.0 to 24.2 years) with a positive genetic test for DMD were included in this clinical trial. Data acquisition was performed in three stages (T0, T1, and T2) with an interval of four months in between. All participants received oral supplementation with zinc bis-glycine chelate between T1 and T2. The daily dose was adjusted for age: 5mg (4 to 8 years); 10mg (9 to 13 years); 15mg (≥14 years) to avoid exceeding the tolerable upper intake level. Total body and lumbar spine (g/cm2 and z-score) bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) were performed using dual emission x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Data normality was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the comparison between the times was performed using a mixed linear model. The bone parameters did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between the different evaluation times. Zinc supplementation did not influence on bone parameters of patients with DMD.