Hair and urine chromium content in 30 hospitalized female psychogeriatric patients and mentally healthy controls

• Published in: Nutrition Reports International (USA) Vol. 22; no. 1
• Main Authors: Vobecky, Josef, Hontela, Slavoj, Shapcott, Dennis, Vobecky, Jitka S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1980
• ISSN: 0029-6635

Differences in hair and urinary chromium levels were observed between a group of 30 hospitalized female psychogeriatric patients and a group of control women without any psychiatric disorder. Psychiatric diagnoses in test subjects included senile dementia, schizophrenia, affective disorder, etc. Mean age of psychogeriatric patients was 77.5 years and of control subjects was 79.9 years. Hair chromium content of controls was 2-fold that of patients; in contrast, lower chromium levels were seen in urine of controls. Hair chromium content of patients over 80 years old was lower than in younger subjects, but this pattern was not seen in controls. Age had no influence on urinary excretion of chromium. Hair chromium content of patients with senile dementia was significantly lower than in controls, and urinary chromium was significantly higher in schizophrenics than in controls. The proportion of patients with hair chromium below 500 ng/g (92.6%) was significantly higher than in the control group (57.7%). These data suggest that chromium deficiency might be associated in the pathogenesis of brain disorders