Abstract
Background and objectiveThis study examined whether zinc intake was associated with lower risk of smoking-induced obstructive lung disorder through interplay with cadmium, one of major toxicants in cigarette smoke.MethodsData were obtained from a sample of 6,726 subjects aged 40+ from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured using spirometry. Gender-, ethnicity-, and age-specific equations were used to calculate the lower limit of normal (LLN) to define obstructive lung disorder as: observed FEV1/FVC ratio and FEV1 below respective LLN. Zinc intake was assessed by questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the associations of interest.ResultsThe analyses showed that an increased prevalence of obstructive lung disorder was observed among individuals with low zinc intake regardless of smoking status. The adjusted odds of lung disorder are approximately 1.9 times greater for subjects in the lowest zinc-intake tertile than those in the highest tertile (odds ratio = 1.89, 95% confidence interval = 1.22-2.93). The effect of smoking on lung function decreased considerably after adjusting for urinary cadmium. Protective association between the zinc-to-cadmium ratio (log-transformed) and respiratory risk suggests that zinc may play a role in smoking-associated lung disorder by modifying the influence of cadmium.ConclusionsWhile zinc intake is associated with lower risk of obstructive lung disorder, the role of smoking cession and/or prevention are likely to be more important given their far greater effect on respiratory risk. Future research is warranted to explore the mechanisms by which zinc could modify smoking-associated lung disease.
Highlights
Background and objectiveThis study examined whether zinc intake was associated with lower risk of smokinginduced obstructive lung disorder through interplay with cadmium, one of major toxicants in cigarette smoke
The prevalence of obstructive lung disorder increased in the order: never-smokers (2.99%) < former smokers (9.55%) < active smokers (17.7%)
A similar pattern of results was evident for pack-years of cigarettes as: zero pack-years (3.08%) < greater than zero-19 pack years (6.50%) < greater than 20 pack-years (19.6%)
Summary
Background and objectiveThis study examined whether zinc intake was associated with lower risk of smokinginduced obstructive lung disorder through interplay with cadmium, one of major toxicants in cigarette smoke. It has been suggested that COPD results from smokingassociated inflammation and oxidative damage to key enzymes (e.g., alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency) [1], but not all smokers develop COPD [2], and some former smokers have persistent inflammation and remain at risk [3]. Both animal and human epidemiologic data indicate that exposure to cadmium (Cd), a constituent of cigarette smoke, is associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation [4,5,6,7]. The analysis was conducted using a population-based, nationally representative sample from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-94)
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