Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) imposes an emerging epidemic globally and in Egypt. The role of zinc in ischemic heart disease wasn't well assessed. A limited number of researches explored serum zinc status in ischemic heart disease patients.
Objective: To explore differences in serum zinc level between IHD patients and control group.
Methodology: A case control study included 110 people aged ≥20 years old; 50 cases of ischemic heart disease diagnosed within the previous six months were recruited from Cardiology department and its outpatient clinic at Al-Zahraa University Hospital. Sixty controls were recruited from those without ischemic heart disease attending General surgery, Urology and Otorhinolaryngology clinics at the same hospital. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Serum zinc of cases and controls was measured. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis.
Results: Cases of ischemic heart disease had significantly lower serum zinc level as compared to controls (P<0.05) with Odds Ratio (OR) =3.33. Disaggregated data indicated that serum zinc was significantly lower among females with IHD but not males. The most significant ischemic heart disease risk factors were less education, positive family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, less frequent consumption of dairy products and animal proteins, psychic tension, physical inactivity, short sleep hours, obesity and hypertension.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that serum zinc level might be associated with ischemic heart disease especially among females.