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Abstract
Exposure to lead and mercury can cause deficits in neuromotor function. Selenium and manganese are essential elements, hence both deficiency and excess could result in decreased neuromotor function. We aimed to examine hand grip strength, a marker of neuromotor function, and blood concentrations of lead, mercury, selenium, and manganese in the general U.S. population. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011–2014) on 6199 participants ages 20–79 years. We assessed associations of blood concentration for these elements and grip strength with generalized regression models, and cubic splines to detect possible nonlinear relations, adjusting for confounders. The results showed that mercury and manganese were not associated with grip strength. Lead was associated with weaker grip strength in women (for 10-fold increase in lead, −2.4 kg; 95% CI: −4.2, −0.5), but not in men. Higher selenium was associated with stronger grip strength in women (8.5 kg; 95% CI: 1.9, 15.1) and men (4.6; 95% CI: −11.9, 21.0), although the association was not significant in the latter. In conclusion, lead exposure was associated with weaker grip strength in women, even at the low exposure levels in the population. Furthermore, low blood selenium level was associated with weaker grip strength, suggesting that some individuals might have selenium deficiency manifesting with poorer neuromotor function.
Highlights
Consistent with the generalized regression models (GLMs) results, a 10-fold increase in blood lead was significantly associated with an elevated risk of having low grip strength among women (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.84)
We observed no association between blood lead and grip strength in men, similar to a previous study conducted on older men (i.e., >65 years) from the general population [4]
The adverse effects of high occupational lead exposure on neuromotor function are well-documented [2,3,28], and the present study suggests that this might apply to women from the general U.S population
Summary
The adverse effects of lead exposure on the nervous system have been very well documented, especially during development [1] and in adults with high levels of exposure in the workplace [2,3]. Fewer studies have addressed potential adverse effects on neuromotor function at the lower exposure levels found in adults from the general population. Blood lead concentration was associated with weaker hand grip strength in a community-based study among men in unadjusted models, but not after adjustment for covariates [4]. Higher blood lead was associated with other neuromotor function indicators, such as poor fine motor skills, assessed with a handwriting test, and with slower walking speed in older individuals from the general population [5,6]
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