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Toxic effects associated with consumption of zinc
- Article from:
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Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- Article date:
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July 1, 2002
- Author:
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Copyright informationCopyright Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Jul 2002. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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A 27-year-old man with a history of acne presented to his primary care physician because of fatigue and dyspnea on exertion of 4 weeks' duration. He was remarkably pale, orthostatic pulse changes were noted, and a systolic ejection murmur was heard. The patient had profound anemia (hemoglobin concentration, 5.0 g/dL) and neutropenia (neutrophil count, 0.06 x 10^sup 9^/L); he was admitted for further evaluation. A detailed inquiry into his medication history revealed that he was taking several vitamins and
zinc gluconate, 850 to 1000 mg/d for 1 year (US recommended daily allowance, 15 mg), as therapy for acne. A zinc toxic and copper-deficient state was confirmed by laboratory studies. The ...