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Objective:To investigate the relationship between indices of zinc nutritive status and biochemical markers of bone turnover in older adult European subjects.Design:Use of baseline data from a multicentre prospective zinc intervention (ZENITH) study.Setting:Centres in France, Italy and Northern Ireland.Participants:A total of 387 healthy adults, aged 55–87 y.Methods:Zinc intake was assessed by 4-day recall records. Circulating and urinary biochemical zinc status measures were assessed by atomic absorption spectrophometry. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were assessed by ELISA and urinary pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) by HPLC.Results:Zinc intake was negatively correlated with urinary Pyr and Dpyr (r=−0.298 and −0.304, respectively; P<0.0001), but was not correlated with bone formation markers. There was a tendency for serum zinc to be negatively correlated with urinary Dpyr (r=−0.211; P=0.080). Erythrocyte zinc was negatively correlated with serum osteocalcin (r=−0.090; P<0.0001). None of the other correlations were significant. After adjustment for confounder (age, gender and research centre) the only significant association that remained was between serum osteocalcin and erythrocyte zinc (β=−0.124; P=0.011).Conclusions:There was some, albeit inconsistent, evidence of a relationship between zinc nutritive status and bone turnover in the older adult participants of the ZENITH study.Sponsorship:ZENITH is supported by the European Commission ‘Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources’ Fifth Framework Programme, Contract No: QLK1-CT-2001-00168.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, Suppl 2, S73–S78. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602303 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]