Zinc Supplements Reduce Diarrhea in Drug Users With HIV

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http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578892

By C. Vidya Shankar, MD

MEXICO CITY (Reuters Health) Aug 08 - Zinc supplements reduce episodes of diarrhea among drug users with HIV, researchers reported at the International AIDS Conference here.

Persistent diarrhea affects the great majority of patients with HIV/AIDS, resulting in malabsorption, weight loss and reduced survival, Dr. A. Campa from Florida International University, Miami, and colleagues mention in a poster presentation.

In their trial, Dr. Campa's team randomized 231 HIV-positive drug users with diagnosed zinc deficiency, 62.3% of whom were on antiretroviral therapy, to receive either zinc supplements or a placebo. Men received 15 mg while women received 12 mg daily for a year.

Zinc supplementation cut the episodes of diarrhea in half, Dr. Campa and colleagues found. Specifically, the prevalence of diarrhea was 14.1% and 29.3% in the zinc-supplemented patients and the controls, respectively.

Zinc supplements produced a significant benefit even after accounting for confounding factors like HAART, viral load and CD4+ cell counts, the investigators add.

Zinc supplementation is a safe and effective adjunct therapy for HIV-associated diarrhea, Dr. Campa and colleagues conclude.

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