Garland M L, Hagmeyer K O
John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Ann Pharmacother. 1998 Jan;32(1):63-9. doi: 10.1345/aph.17128.
To summarize and critique the medical literature on the use of zinc lozenges for treatment of the common cold.
MEDLINE searches (January 1966-June 1997) identified human clinical trials on the use of zinc lozenges for the treatment of the common cold. Bibliographies were also reviewed for relevant articles.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of zinc lozenges in adults for the treatment of the common cold, with the clinical end points of reduction in duration and/or severity of cold symptoms.
All double-blind placebo-controlled, human clinical trials on the use of zinc lozenges for the treatment of the common cold were included.
The use of zinc lozenges in the treatment of the common cold has been suggested to reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. Of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, four found zinc lozenges to be effective, while the other four reported no difference between zinc and placebo therapy. Potential reasons for the discrepancy between the results of these trials include inadequate placebo control, formulation of the lozenge, and the dose of zinc used. Common adverse effects include unpleasant taste, mouth irritation, and nausea.
Treatment of the common cold with zinc gluconate lozenges, using adequate doses of elemental zinc, may be effective in reducing duration and severity of cold symptoms. The benefit appears to be maximal if the lozenges are started immediately after the onset of symptoms. The formulation of the lozenges also appears to be important because the addition of citric acid or tartaric acid may reduce efficacy due to chelation of zinc ion. Although zinc gluconate lozenges have dominated clinical trials thus far, further studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of zinc acetate lozenges and to determine whether their adverse effect profile is more favorable to that of zinc gluconate lozenges. Patients should play an important role in the decision-making process and must decide whether the benefit gained from treatment with zinc lozenges outweighs the potential adverse effects.
总结和评论关于使用锌含片治疗普通感冒的医学文献。
通过MEDLINE检索（1966年1月至1997年6月）确定了关于使用锌含片治疗普通感冒的人体临床试验。还查阅了相关文章的参考文献。
针对成人使用锌含片治疗普通感冒的双盲、安慰剂对照试验，临床终点为感冒症状持续时间缩短和/或症状严重程度减轻。
纳入所有关于使用锌含片治疗普通感冒的双盲安慰剂对照人体临床试验。
有人提出使用锌含片治疗普通感冒可缩短感冒症状的持续时间并减轻其严重程度。在八项双盲、安慰剂对照试验中，四项试验发现锌含片有效，而另外四项试验报告锌治疗与安慰剂治疗之间无差异。这些试验结果存在差异的潜在原因包括安慰剂对照不充分、含片的配方以及所用锌的剂量。常见的不良反应包括味道不佳、口腔刺激和恶心。
使用足够剂量元素锌的葡萄糖酸锌含片治疗普通感冒，可能有效缩短感冒症状的持续时间并减轻其严重程度。如果在症状出现后立即开始服用含片，益处似乎最大。含片的配方似乎也很重要，因为添加柠檬酸或酒石酸可能因锌离子螯合而降低疗效。尽管迄今为止葡萄糖酸锌含片在临床试验中占主导地位，但仍需要进一步研究来证明醋酸锌含片的疗效，并确定其不良反应情况是否比葡萄糖酸锌含片更有利。患者在决策过程中应发挥重要作用，必须决定从锌含片治疗中获得的益处是否超过潜在的不良反应。
