Evaluation of toxic metal levels and zinc and iron deficiency in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder patients

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the deficiency of trace elements like iron, magnesium, zinc and exposure to toxic metals in ADHD (attention deficiency and hyperactivity disorder) cases. Material and Method: In this study, the data belonging to 26 cases of 6-18 years patients which were diagnosed with ADHD between September 2015 - December 2016 in Celal Bayar University Research Hospital's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinic were evaluated. The control group was chosen from 26 other patients with similar age, sex and socioeconomic profile that had a complaint of abdominal pain, chest pain etc. The hemogram, ferritin, zinc, magnesium, lead, manganese, cadmium and arsenic levels of both diagnosed patients and control group were analyzed. The data was interpreted by using SPSS-18 statistical analysis program. Results: In the study ferritin, zinc, magnesium levels and arsenic, cadmium, mercury, manganese and lead exposure of 56 cases (26 ADHD, 26 control group) were evaluated. Upon analysis, comparing individuals to groups, lead levels in ADHD diagnosed cases were statistically significantly higher (p=0.03). When the subtypes were categorized, levels of attention deficit dominant and compound group were higher than the control group (p<0.05). The hemoglobin levels in ADHD patients were lower than the healthy control group, however no difference could be found on the existence of anemia between ADHD and control group. No statistically significant difference was found in ferritin, magnesium, zinc, manganese, arsenic, cadmium and mercury levels between ADHD cases and control group. Conclition: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder is a disease which is affected by genetic, psycho-social and environmental factors and ADHD's etiology has not been clearly illuminated, yet. We conclude that with the further studies that have bigger patient groups and especially with the evaluation of toxic metals including lead will be important for further understanding of the disease etiology.