Infection. 2025 Jul 10. doi: 10.1007/s15010-025-02596-8. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the associations between serum concentrations of copper, zinc and selenium, and pneumonia death risk.
METHODS: Study included 2088 men from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study aged 42-60 years. Pneumonia deaths were collected by computer linkage to the national Causes of Death Register. Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for multiple variables, were used for analysis.
RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 21.7 years (SD 7.5 years), 139 pneumonia deaths occurred. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for pneumonia death in the highest serum copper-to-zinc-ratio and copper concentration tertiles were 1.75 (95% CI: 1.13-2.71) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.08-2.50), respectively. Serum zinc concentration showed a statistically significant association with pneumonia death, with the lowest risk observed in the second tertile and no further decrease in risk in the highest tertile. Serum copper-to-selenium ratio nor selenium concentrations were associated with pneumonia death risk.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a higher serum copper-to-zinc-ratio and higher serum copper concentration are associated with increased risk of pneumonia death, while a higher serum zinc concentration is linked to a decreased risk of pneumonia death in middle-aged and older men.
PMID:40637965 | DOI:10.1007/s15010-025-02596-8
