Determinants of serum zinc in a random population sample of four Belgian towns with different degrees of environmental exposure to cadmium

peer reviewed ; This report investigated the distribution of serum zinc and the factors determining serum zinc concentration in a large random population sample. The 197 participants (959 men and 1018 women), 20-80 years old, constituted a stratified random sample of the population of four Belgian districts, representing two areas with low and two with high environmental exposure to cadmium. For each exposure level, a rural and an urban area were selected. The serum concentration of zinc, frequently used as an index for zinc status in human subjects, was higher in men (13.1 µmole/L, range 6.5-... Mehr ...