Zinc acetate lozenges for the treatment of the common cold: a randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine a commercially available zinc acetate lozenge for treating the common cold.

Design

Randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting

Working population in Finland.

Participants

We included men and women aged ≥18 years who usually had ≥1 cold per winter. Exclusions were pregnancy, lactation, chronic runny nose or chronic cough.

Intervention

We randomised 253 participants to receive a package of lozenges to be taken if they caught the common cold. Of the 253 participants, 88 contracted the common cold and 87 were included in our primary analysis. Zinc acetate lozenges contained 13 mg elemental zinc and placebo lozenges contained sucrose octa-acetate to camouflage the taste of zinc. Instruction to use was six times per day f

SUBMITTER: Hemila H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7045205 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature