Serum antioxidant micromineral (Cu, Zn, Fe) status of drug dependent subjects: Influence of illicit drugs and lifestyle

Table 2 Effect of drug habit and sex practice on micromineral status (mean ± sd in μmol/L) of drug dependent subjects.

Parameter	% (n)	Copper^a (μmol/L) Mean ± SD	Zinc^b (μmol/L) Mean ± SD	Iron^c (μmol/L) Mean ± SD
Number of drugs ¹
1–2	39.9 (101)	21.3 ± 5.8	13.8 ± 4.5	20.0 ± 5.9
3	37.9 (96)	21.2 ± 5.7	14.1 ± 5.0	20.3 ± 6.9
4–5	22.2 (56)	22.6 ± 6.2	13.5 ± 3.6	22.1 ± 7.3
Period of drug abuse ²
1–5 y	38.7 (98)	20.9 ± 5.2*	14.5 ± 5.0	19.9 ± 5.9*
6–10 y	42.7 (108)	21.4 ± 5.8 *	13.5 ± 3.8	20.0 ± 7.1*
11–40 y	18.6 (47)	23.5 ± 6.8*	13.1 ± 4.9	23.3 ± 5.8*
Sex partner ³
0–5	37.5 (95)	20.1 ± 5.0	13.8 ± 4.2*	19.4 ± 5.9
6–10	20.2 (51)	22.2 ± 6.6	15.8 ± 6.4*	20.9 ± 7.2
11–15	12.3 (31)	22.3 ± 7.2	12.6 ± 3.5*	22.6 ± 6.1
16–150	30.0 (76)	21.5 ± 5.7	13.1 ± 3.4*	20.7 ± 6.8
Condom use ⁴
Occasional use	23.7 (60)	21.9 ± 6.9	13.3 ± 4.6	20.8 ± 61
No use	76.3 (193)	21.5 ± 5.5	14.0 ± 4.5	20.4 ± 6.6
STD ⁵
Syph-gonorrhoea	59.3 (150)	21.4 ± 6.1	13.4 ± 4.9	20.9 ± 6.5
No STD	40.7 (103)	21.9 ± 5.5	14.5 ± 3.9	19.9 ± 6.1

* Significant (p < 0.05) using one-way ANOVA.
Number of drugs: 1 = heroin, 2 = cannabis, 3 = phensedyl (codein, ephedrine and promethazine), 4 = injections (pethedine, buprenorphine, diazepam, promethazine), 5 = tablets (benzodiazepines).
^2aF(2,250) = 3.45, p = 0.030
^2cF(2,250) = 5.20, p = 0.001
^3bF(3,249) = 4.84, p = 0.003

ISSN: 1747-597X