Zinc supplementation did not reduce mortality, cardiovascular risk, levels of inflammation or microbial translocation among people with heavy alcohol use living with HIV/AIDS, according to a Vanderbilt-led study.
Although low adherence likely influenced the outcome in the trial, zinc significantly lowered mortality risk among those who were adherent, said the study’s lead author, Matthew Freiberg, MD, MSc, professor of Medicine and Dorothy and Laurence Grossman Professor of Cardiology. This finding, combined with other recently published research reporting lower biomarker levels of inflammation among those receiving zinc, suggest that a larger study may be useful to determine the efficacy of zinc supplementation, Freiberg said.