Fistulas are irregular connections that develop between organs and vessels of the body. Research indicates a connection between zinc levels and the development of fistulas. Inflammatory bowel disease is considered one of the major risk factors for fistulas, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about zinc supplementation if you have inflammatory bowel disease, if you have developed a fistula, or if you are at risk of developing one.
Formation
Injury, surgery and infections typically cause fistulas, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and these abnormal connections can form in any part of the body. Some of the most common fistulas occur between arteries and veins, between the bile ducts and the skin's surface, between the bowel and the vagina, between the anus and the skin's surface, and between the stomach and the skin's surface.
Risk Factors
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, often develop fistulas between different regions of the intestines, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and these patients also often manifest low zinc levels. A study published in the journal "Hepatogastroenterology" in June 1985 examined 50 patients with Crohn's disease and found that those with fistulas recorded significantly lower levels of zinc in their blood than the Crohn's patients without fistulas. This research suggests that zinc deficiency contributes to the formation of fistulas.
Predictive Factors
Research indicates that zinc levels also foreshadow the occurrence of fistulas in some cases. A study published in the "Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery" in January 2006 looked at 147 patients who had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer. In the 73 patients who developed fistulas after their operation, the researchers observed that low zinc levels significantly affected the formation of the fistula.
Complications
Fistulas can lead to serious health complications. Anal fistulas, for example, can trigger infections that may spread to other tissues, and in some cases they can also cause fecal incontinence. This complication tends to occur more often in patients with Crohn's disease. Fistulas also can reoccur in some cases, according to the National Health Service of the United Kingdom. Fistulas can also form abscesses, according to the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fistula - Overview
- "Hepatogastroenterology"; Zinc Deficiency as a Problem in Patients with Crohn's Disease and Fistula Formation; W. Kruis, et al.; June 1985
- "Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery"; Predictive Factors for Pancreatic Fistula after Pancreaticosplenectomy for Advanced Gastric Cancer in the Upper Third of the Stomach; C. Kunisaki, et al.; January 2006
- NHS: Complications of an Anal Fistula
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine: Fistulae in IBD
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