The zinc, copper, and selenium status of a selected sample of Canadian elderly women

The zinc, copper, and selenium status of 90 noninstitutionalized Canadian elderly women (M age = 70.3 years) in a university community and consuming self-selected diets was assessed using hair and serum trace element levels and dietary trace element intakes. Mean (+/- SD) serum zinc and copper levels (analyzed via atomic absorption spectrophotometry, AA) were 1.09 +/- 0.13 and 1.22 +/- 0.29 micrograms/ml, respectively. Mean serum selenium (+/- SD) (analyzed via instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was 0.115 +/- 0.03 micrograms/ml. Median hair trace element values, analyzed via INAA, were 156 for zinc, 12.8 for copper, and 0.63 micrograms/g for selenium. Mean (+/- SD) daily dietary intakes determined via chemical analysis of 1-day diet duplicates were 1.2 +/- .06 mg/d for copper (via AA), 7.6 +/- 3.3 mg/d and 77.6 +/- 44.5 micrograms/d for zinc and selenium (via INAA), respectively, whereas mean copper and zinc intakes (+/- SD) calculated from 3-day records were 1.6 +/- 0.7 and 10.1 +/- 3.5 mg/day, respectively. Median hair and serum trace element values were above the levels associated with deficiencies. Thus the zinc, copper and selenium status of these elderly women appeared adequate.