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Link Between Zinc Deficiency and Hypertension Discovered

by Colleen Fleiss on January 25, 2019 at 3:01 AM
Link Between Zinc Deficiency and Hypertension Discovered

In a mouse study, association between zinc deficiency, blood pressure and kidney sodium transporter was identified. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology--Renal Physiology.

Zinc deficiency is common in people with chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. People with low zinc levels are also at a higher risk for hypertension. The way in which the kidneys either excrete sodium into the urine or reabsorb it into the body--specifically through a pathway called the sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC)--also plays a role in blood pressure control.

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Less sodium in the urine typically corresponds with higher blood pressure. Recent research has suggested that zinc may help regulate proteins that in turn regulate the NCC, but a direct link between zinc-deficiency-induced hypertension has not been examined.

Researchers compared male mice with zinc deficiency to healthy controls with normal zinc levels. The zinc-deficient mice developed high blood pressure and a corresponding decrease in urinary sodium excretion. The control group did not experience the same changes. A small group of the zinc-deficient mice were fed a zinc-rich diet partway through the study.
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Once the animals' zinc reached adequate levels, blood pressure began to drop and urinary sodium levels increased. "These significant findings demonstrate that enhanced renal [sodium] reabsorption plays a critical role in [zinc-deficiency]-induced hypertension," the research team wrote.

Source: Eurekalert
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