Clinical trials assessing zinc supplementation in liver diseases do not show benefits in terms of clinical improvement or disease halting .
There are possible benefits of zinc supplementation on hepatic encephalopathy , however , this is based on limited evidence .
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Zinc deficiency has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic liver disease .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases .
Effect of zinc on liver cirrhosis with hyperammonemia: a preliminary randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial.
OBJECTIVE To our knowledge , no r and omized study has shown whether zinc replacement therapy is effective for hyperammonemia in liver cirrhosis ; therefore , we performed a double-blind , placebo-controlled trial to examine efficacy and safety of the zinc replacement therapy . METHODS Patients with liver cirrhosis and hyperammonemia ( at or above the institutional reference value ) and hypozincemia ( ≤65 μg/dL ) were enrolled in the outpatient units of the participating institutions and were r and omly divided to receive placebo ( P group ) or zinc acetate preparation at a dose of 3 capsules/d for a total zinc content of 150 mg/d ( Z group ) by the envelope method . Of the 18 enrolled patients , 6 dropped out ; thus , the analyses included 12 patients ( 5 in the P group and 7 in the Z group ) . Variations in blood concentrations of zinc and ammonia as well as liver function test results were compared . RESULTS Blood zinc levels significantly increased in the Z group ( P = 0.0037 ; Friedman test ) but not the P group . Blood ammonia levels significantly decreased in the Z group ( P = 0.0114 ; Friedman test ) but not the P group . The percent change in blood ammonia level also revealed significant reduction at the eighth week in the Z group ( P = 0.0188 : Mann-Whitney test ) . No serious adverse events attributable to the zinc preparation were noted . CONCLUSION Although this study is preliminary and includes a small sample , it is , to our knowledge , the first r and omized controlled trial to show that zinc supplementation for 3 mo seems effective and safe for treating hyperammonemia in liver cirrhosis . Studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our findings
Clinical trials assessing zinc supplementation in liver diseases do not show benefits in terms of clinical improvement or disease halting .
There are possible benefits of zinc supplementation on hepatic encephalopathy , however , this is based on limited evidence .
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Zinc deficiency has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic liver disease .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases .