Association of mineral status with metabolic disorders in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. A preliminary study

Background:
Hypertension and comorbid diseases are often characterized by inadequate intake of minerals and disturbances in mineral status.
Aim:
This study aimed to estimate the association of minerals status and dietary supply of minerals with body mass index (BMI) and serum levels of glucose and lipids in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.
Methods:
A total of 69 hypertensive patients were included in the study. Blood pressure and BMI were recorded, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and glucose were measured in the serum of all subjects. Furthermore, the concentrations of iron, zinc, and copper were measured in serum, erythrocyte, urine, and hair samples. The dietary intake of energy and minerals was also estimated. The association between minerals and metabolic parameters was analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation and multivariate regression.
Results:
The results showed a significant negative correlation of the iron level in serum and copper level in erythrocytes with BMI was found. The zinc concentration in serum positively correlated with the level of TG. Multivariate regression analysis in the crude model and the model adjusted for age and gender showed the relationship between the iron level in urine and TC and also between the iron level in serum and BMI.
Conclusion:
The levels of iron, copper, and zinc were associated with metabolic parameters such as BMI and levels of lipids and glucose in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.