Hair Toxic Element Content in Adult Men and Women in Relation to Body Mass Index

Abstract

The primary objective of the current study was to estimate the hair toxic metal content in adults in relation to body mass index. A total of 1,229 persons including 719 women and 510 men were examined. All subjects were divided into two age groups: 1 and 2 periods of adulthood. All men and women were also subdivided into groups in relation to their values of body mass index (BMI): underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. Hair aluminium (Al), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and tin (Sn) content was evaluated using mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. It has been shown that increase in body weight is accompanied by elevated hair cadmium content in women. At the same time, no significant alteration of hair cadmium concentration was observed in males. Higher values of scalp hair mercury and lead content were observed in men and women with increased body mass index independently of their age. BMI-related elevation of hair tin content was registered only in men of the first period of adulthood. A significant correlation between hair metal content and the values of BMI was observed for mercury independently of the gender of the subjects, whereas BMI values correlated significantly with hair cadmium levels in women and lead and tin levels in men. It has been also estimated that hair cadmium, mercury and lead levels in men exceed the respective values in women.

An analysis of factors affecting the mercury content in the human femoral bone

“…The Russian study conducted by Skalnaya and Demidov (2007) demonstrated that the obesity in women significantly corresponded to elevated hair Hg content. In other studies, Skalnaya et al (2014) found the significant correlation between BMI values and hair mercury content both in men and in women. In the Polish study by Michalak et al (2014), the Hg content of hair positively correlated with BMI.…”

“…One of the proposed mechanisms is linked to impaired excretion of mercury, for which the main way of excretion is its secretion into the gastrointestinal tract and urine. Taking to consideration that aging is linked with reduction of liver and renal functions, the dysfunctions of these organs may lead to damaged mercury excretion (Skalnaya et al 2014, 2016). …”

“…Furthermore, high Hg levels in the blood were linked with a lower risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (Cho et al 2012). Another probable mechanism of increased metal content in the organism during obesity can be impaired metal excretion, for mercury is biliary secretion (Skalnaya et al 2014). Besides, Park et al (2009) found that high mercury concentration in hair may indicate increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which is strongly associated with obesity (Tinkov et al 2015).…”

Association between Blood Mercury Level and Visceral Adiposity in Adults

“…Second, some data have reported that obesity is accompanied by impaired biliary secretion and that persons with more body fat eliminate heavy metals more slowly than those with less body fat [4142]. Because mercury is excreted mainly in the feces by processes of biliary excretion, impaired mercury excretion is one possible mechanism for this association [43]. Therefore, although the mechanism underlying the relationship of blood mercury level and central obesity is not completely understood, VAT might play an important role in blood mercury concentration.…”

Effects of methyl mercury exposure on pancreatic beta cell development and function

“…ER stress has also been linked to the development of a significant number of pathologies associated with metabolic syndrome (Bánhegyi et al, 2007;Basseri & Austin, 2012;Cnop et al, 2012;Tinkov et al, 2015), a common precursor condition to type 2 diabetes. While a high carbohydrate/sugar diet and reduced activity levels have long been associated with the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, recent reports suggest that environmental factors and, in particular, heavy metal exposure, also contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome (Eom et al, 2014;Lind et al, 2013;Moon, 2014;Park et al, 2009;Skalnaya et al, 2014;Vanni et al, 2010). However, other studies have not supported such associations (Lee & Kim, 2013), indicating that some controversy still exists concerning this possible association.…”