Association Between Zinc and Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: The increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the pediatric population underscores a critical need for understanding dietary and micronutrient factors, including the role of zinc in metabolic regulation. Despite the well-known importance of zinc in metabolic functions, there are contradictory results regarding its association with pediatric MetS.  Objectives: We aimed to perform a comprehensive review of the studies on the association between serum zinc level and dietary zinc intake with MetS in children and adolescents.  Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis study conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The related studies in English published up to the end of May ۲۰۲۴ were searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The observational studies with high quality (assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale [(NOS)]) were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and ۹۵% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the risk of MetS in lower levels of zinc versus higher levels were also extracted from each study. Results: Of ۴۴۴ initially identified records, four eligible studies were selected for the review. The pooled analysis revealed no significant association between zinc levels (food intake or serum level) and the presence of MetS (P=۰.۴۱; OR=۱.۲۲, ۹۵% CI, ۰.۹۲%, ۱.۶۲%). Heterogeneity was not substantial (I۲=۰.۰۰). Conclusions: The non-significant association of serum zinc level and dietary zinc intake with MetS in children and adolescents, coupled with substantial heterogeneity across included studies, highlights the complexity of the association between zinc and MetS among youths. This underscores the necessity for further longitudinal studies on the association of low zinc levels and the risk of MetS in children and adolescents.

Keywords:

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) , Pediatrics , Zinc , Meta-analysis