copper deficiency
Last reviewed 01/2018
Copper deficiency also known as hypocupraemia is exceedingly rare in the normal population.
- historically the deficiency was present in patients receiving total parenteral hyperalimentation or total parental nutrition (TPN)
- currently, it is increasingly recognised in patients undergoing gastric resection or bariatric gastric reduction surgery (1)
- in a case series of 136 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery, 9.6% had hypocupraemia
- two other case series containing 64 and 141 bariatric surgery patients respectively reported
- substantial hypocupraemia in 23% at 6 months and 70% at 3 years
- a progressive reduction in average serum copper concentrations over five years (2)
Hypocupraemia may lead to:
- vitamin B12 deficiency-like symptoms
- anemia and leukopenia with myelodysplastic manifestations
- growth retardation
- defective keratinization and pigmentation of the hair
- neurodegenerative syndrome
- mental deterioration
- scurvy-like changes in the skeleton (3)
Reference:
- (1) Robinson SD, Cooper B, Leday TV. Copper deficiency (hypocupremia) and pancytopenia late after gastric bypass surgery. Proceedings (Baylor University Medical Center). 2013;26(4):382-386.
- (2) Chhetri SK et al. Copper deficiency. BMJ. 2014;348:g3691
- (3) Bost M et al. Dietary copper and human health: Current evidence and unresolved issues. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2016;35:107-15
risk factors for copper deficiency
manifestations of copper deficiency
diagnosis of copper deficiency