Biomarkers · Electrolytes & Minerals

Serum Zinc

Higher values go with lower risk of death. Not measured in our NHANES panel. The curve is drawn from the published study (source below).

Serum Zinc and risk of death

Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher

Risk of death relative to the curve's reference value, drawn from the published study (source below).

Published risk of death1.94×low serum zinc, men (category cut-offs and reference not reported) (95% CI 1.03–3.65) · Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study phase IV (2009-2011), adults aged >=30 without CVD; estimate is for men only (no association in women)

Serum Zinc by age and sex

Each bar runs from the 5th to the 95th percentile, the darker part from the 25th to the 75th, and the tick is the median. Not a reference range or a target.

The percentiles as a table

Each row is one sex and age band: the values below which 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 95% of people fall (ug/dL), from the survey named in the row. Not a reference range or a target.
Sex	Age	5th	25th	Median	75th	95th	n	Cycle / source
All	20-39	57.0	67.8	79.5	91.0	106	578	NHANES 2015-2016
All	40-59	62.6	71.7	81.2	90.1	105	567	NHANES 2015-2016
All	60+	59.0	71.5	82.1	91.6	105	579	NHANES 2015-2016
All	all	59.1	70.9	81.1	90.8	105	1,724	NHANES 2015-2016
Men	20-39	58.4	72.8	85.5	93.8	110	291	NHANES 2015-2016
Men	40-59	62.8	71.7	82.2	91.8	107	273	NHANES 2015-2016
Men	60+	58.4	71.3	81.5	92.0	111	300	NHANES 2015-2016
Men	all	60.4	71.7	82.8	92.7	110	864	NHANES 2015-2016
Women	20-39	56.3	65.9	75.4	86.2	102	287	NHANES 2015-2016
Women	40-59	60.5	71.4	80.6	89.5	96.8	294	NHANES 2015-2016
Women	60+	59.2	73.4	82.2	91.1	102	279	NHANES 2015-2016
Women	all	58.1	69.6	79.5	88.6	102	860	NHANES 2015-2016

What studies found when this marker was changed

They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.

Measured changes in Serum Zinc, study by study

4 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Green points move the marker the way lower risk of death lies; amber the other way. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.

Each row is one study: what was changed, the effect it reported on this marker, and the source.
Type	Intervention	Reported effect	Evidence	Source
diet	Staple foods fortified with zinc vs the same foods without added zinc (Cochrane review)	Serum or plasma zinc rose 13.86 ug/dL (2.12 umol/L; 95% CI 1.25 to 3.00 umol/L) vs unfortified food; duration not stated; 3 studies, n=158	meta-analysis	Shah D, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(6):CD010697.
supplement	Oral zinc supplementation vs placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes (dose-response meta-analysis of 22 RCTs)	Serum zinc rose 15.38 ug/dL (95% CI 10.74 to 20.02) vs placebo; duration not stated; 22 RCTs, n=1442	meta-analysis	Ghaedi K, et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024;64(25):9228-9239.
supplement	Combined zinc and vitamin A supplementation vs control in adults with sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis	Serum zinc rose 5.623 ug/dL (0.86 umol/L; 95% CI 0.14 to 1.57 umol/L) vs control at 2 months	meta-analysis	Wagnew F, et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2022;7(9):e008625.
supplement	Increased zinc intake (supplementation or diet) for at least 2 weeks in controlled studies of healthy participants	Plasma/serum zinc rose 14.19 ug/dL (2.17 umol/L; 95% CI 1.73 to 2.61 umol/L) with increased zinc intake in controlled studies; duration not stated	meta-analysis	Ceballos-Rasgado M, et al. Nutr Rev. 2025;83(3):e778-e800.

Sources

Risk curve: Ghafouri-Taleghani F 2026 (PMID 42262457): all-cause HR 1.94 (1.03-3.65) low serum zinc, men (category cut-offs and reference not reported). Scaled to published population values.
Ghafouri-Taleghani F, Bahadoran Z, Azizi F. Sex-Specific Prospective Association of Serum Zinc Concentration with Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: A 10-Year Population-Based Cohort Study. J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2026;19(1):69..

Map Serum Zinc against another biomarker.

Map Serum Zinc against another marker