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Cadmium exposure and coronary artery atherosclerosis : A cross-sectional population-based study of swedish middle-aged adults

Barregard, Lars ; Sallsten, Gerd ; Harari, Florencia ; Andersson, Eva M. ; Forsgard, Niklas ; Hjelmgren, Ola ; Angerås, Oskar ; Fagman, Erika ; Persson, Margaretha LU orcid and Lundh, Thomas LU , et al. (2021) In Environmental Health Perspectives 129(6).
Abstract

BACKGROUND: The general population is ubiquitously exposed to the toxic metal cadmium through the diet and smoking. Cadmium exposure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerosis is the main underlying mechanism of myocardial infarction. However, associations between cadmium and coronary artery atherosclerosis have not been examined. OBJECTIVES: Our study sought to examine the hypothesis that blood cadmium (B-Cd) is positively associated with coronary artery calcification, as a measure of coronary artery atherosclerosis in the population-based Swedish SCAPIS study. METHODS: Our analysis included 5,627 individuals (51% women), age 50–64 y, enrolled from 2013 to 2018. The... (More)

BACKGROUND: The general population is ubiquitously exposed to the toxic metal cadmium through the diet and smoking. Cadmium exposure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerosis is the main underlying mechanism of myocardial infarction. However, associations between cadmium and coronary artery atherosclerosis have not been examined. OBJECTIVES: Our study sought to examine the hypothesis that blood cadmium (B-Cd) is positively associated with coronary artery calcification, as a measure of coronary artery atherosclerosis in the population-based Swedish SCAPIS study. METHODS: Our analysis included 5,627 individuals (51% women), age 50–64 y, enrolled from 2013 to 2018. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was obtained from computed tomography. Blood cadmium was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Associations between B-Cd and coronary artery calcium score (CACS Agatston score) were evaluated using prevalence ratios (PRs) in models adjusted for sex, age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, low-density cholesterol/high-density cholesterol ratio, and family history. RESULTS: The median B-Cd concentration was 0:24 lg=L. The prevalence of positive coronary artery calcium (CACS >0) was 41% and the prevalence of CACS ≥100 was 13%. Relative to the lowest quartile (Q) of B-Cd (<0:16 lg=L), the highest quartile (median 0:63 lg=L) was associated with a small but significant increase in CACS >0 (PR 1.1; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3), and a greater relative increase in CACS ≥100 (PR 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.0). When restricted to 2,446 never-smokers, corresponding PRs were 1.1 (95% CI 0.9, 1.3) for CACS >0 (63 cases in Q4) and 1.7 (95% CI 1.1, 2.7) for CACS ≥100 (17 cases in Q4). DISCUSSION: Blood cadmium in the highest quartile was associated with CACS in a general population sample with low to moderate cadmium exposure. This supports the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is an important mechanism underlying the associations between cadmium and incident cardiovascular disease. The findings suggest that public health measures to reduce cadmium exposure are warranted.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Health Perspectives
volume
129
issue
6
article number
067007
publisher
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:85109047513
  • pmid:34160297
ISSN
0091-6765
DOI
10.1289/EHP8523
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4c4c1444-d182-44aa-9165-de3bfcbd9d6f
date added to LUP
2021-08-16 15:31:54
date last changed
2024-06-15 14:29:27
@article{4c4c1444-d182-44aa-9165-de3bfcbd9d6f,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: The general population is ubiquitously exposed to the toxic metal cadmium through the diet and smoking. Cadmium exposure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerosis is the main underlying mechanism of myocardial infarction. However, associations between cadmium and coronary artery atherosclerosis have not been examined. OBJECTIVES: Our study sought to examine the hypothesis that blood cadmium (B-Cd) is positively associated with coronary artery calcification, as a measure of coronary artery atherosclerosis in the population-based Swedish SCAPIS study. METHODS: Our analysis included 5,627 individuals (51% women), age 50–64 y, enrolled from 2013 to 2018. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was obtained from computed tomography. Blood cadmium was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Associations between B-Cd and coronary artery calcium score (CACS Agatston score) were evaluated using prevalence ratios (PRs) in models adjusted for sex, age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, low-density cholesterol/high-density cholesterol ratio, and family history. RESULTS: The median B-Cd concentration was 0:24 lg=L. The prevalence of positive coronary artery calcium (CACS &gt;0) was 41% and the prevalence of CACS ≥100 was 13%. Relative to the lowest quartile (Q) of B-Cd (&lt;0:16 lg=L), the highest quartile (median 0:63 lg=L) was associated with a small but significant increase in CACS &gt;0 (PR 1.1; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3), and a greater relative increase in CACS ≥100 (PR 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.0). When restricted to 2,446 never-smokers, corresponding PRs were 1.1 (95% CI 0.9, 1.3) for CACS &gt;0 (63 cases in Q4) and 1.7 (95% CI 1.1, 2.7) for CACS ≥100 (17 cases in Q4). DISCUSSION: Blood cadmium in the highest quartile was associated with CACS in a general population sample with low to moderate cadmium exposure. This supports the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is an important mechanism underlying the associations between cadmium and incident cardiovascular disease. The findings suggest that public health measures to reduce cadmium exposure are warranted.</p>}},
  author       = {{Barregard, Lars and Sallsten, Gerd and Harari, Florencia and Andersson, Eva M. and Forsgard, Niklas and Hjelmgren, Ola and Angerås, Oskar and Fagman, Erika and Persson, Margaretha and Lundh, Thomas and Borné, Yan and Fagerberg, Björn and Engström, Gunnar and Bergström, Göran}},
  issn         = {{0091-6765}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences}},
  series       = {{Environmental Health Perspectives}},
  title        = {{Cadmium exposure and coronary artery atherosclerosis : A cross-sectional population-based study of swedish middle-aged adults}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP8523}},
  doi          = {{10.1289/EHP8523}},
  volume       = {{129}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}