Zinc Levels Linked to Prognosis in Non-Dialysis CKD

Byadmin July 16, 2026

LOW serum zinc level was independently associated with poor renal prognosis and was a significant predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (ND-CKD) according to a new Chinese study.

Table of Contents

CKD and Serum Zinc Levels

Zinc deficiency is common among patients with CKD and has been associated with worsening kidney function. However, there is limited research that focuses on serum zinc levels in patients with ND-CKD.

Researchers carried out a single-centre retrospective study involving 206 patients diagnosed with ND-CKD in the Department of Nephrology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from October 2021 to December 2024. Patients were stratified into quartiles according to serum zinc levels, and clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes were compared between groups.

Serum Zinc Levels and Prognosis

The median serum zinc level was 11.49 µmol/L, and 46 patients experienced endpoint events over a median follow-up period of 36 months.

Comparative analysis found that patients with ND-CKD exhibiting lower serum zinc levels had a significantly reduced survival rate (p<0.05).

The relationship between serum zinc levels and prognosis was revealed to be non-linear through restricted cubic spline analysis. Researchers detailed this relationship explaining how the hazard ratio gradually decreased as serum zinc levels increased and eventually plateaued or exhibited a slight increase (p<0.001).

Serum Zinc Trajectories and Prognosis

Trajectory model analysis demonstrated that patients with high serum zinc levels that declined slowly had a significantly better prognosis than those with low serum zinc levels that declined rapidly (p=0.002; hazard ratio=0.23; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.58).

Conclusion

Overall, this study showed that low serum zinc level was independently associated with poor renal prognosis and was a significant predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with ND-CKD and clinical indications. The findings suggest that serum zinc levels may have potential as a prognostic marker to help identify patients at higher risk of poor kidney outcomes.

However, given that this was a single‑centre retrospective study, researchers expressed that further prospective multicentre studies are needed to confirm the findings and determine their clinical application.