Does The Serum Zinc Level Affect the Quality of Life in Dialysis Patients? A Report from Iran

Background: Zinc deficiency is a common finding among ESRD and dialysis patients and may affect their quality of life. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the serum level of zinc and its correlation with the quality-of-life score in dialysis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on dialysis patients. Patients’ information and clinical data, their serum zinc levels, and quality of life assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire were collected. The Spearman correlation test was used to assess the correlation between serum zinc levels and the Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Summary scores of the SF-36 questionnaire in general and in different subgroups. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: In the HD group, PCS and MCS scores were significantly correlated (P = 0.0001), while this correlation was not observed in the PD group. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between zinc levels and PCS and MCS scores in the HD group but not in the PD group (P = 0.0001). In the PD group, only age negatively correlated with the PCS score (P = 0.03), without any other significant correlations with other study variables. Multivariate analysis revealed that zinc level was an independent predictor of PCS and MCS scores in the HD group (P < 0.001). In the PD group, age (P = 0.02) and zinc level (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of PCS score but not MCS score. Conclusions: There is a positive correlation between serum zinc levels and both the physical and mental aspects of quality of life in dialysis patients.