NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Too much zinc supplementation may not be a good thing for the urinary system of older adults, according to a new report.
The finding comes from a secondary analysis of a trial involving 3,640 adults between age 55 and 80 years of age with the retinal disease, macular degeneration. As treatment for their eye condition, the subjects were assigned to various treatments: daily antioxidant therapy with vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene; zinc, 80 milligrams daily; antioxidants and zinc in combination; or inactive ‘placebo’ supplements.
In the Journal of Urology, Dr. Aaron R. Johnson and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, report that there was a “significant increase in hospital admissions due to genitourinary causes in patients on zinc vs. non-zinc formulations (11.1 percent vs. 7.6 percent)” during the 6 years of the study.