Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate hair toxic metal levels in patients with obesity and/or coronary heart disease (CHD). Following a 2 × 2 factorial design, subjects without CHD were grouped into normal weight control (n = 123) and obese groups (n = 140). Patients suffering from CHD were divided into normal weight (n = 180) and obese CHD subjects (n = 240). Hair Al, As, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Pb levels were evaluated using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. The data demonstrate that hair Al and Hg levels were higher in obese subjects as compared to normal weight controls. Normal weight CHD patients were characterized by significantly higher hair Al, As, Cd, and Pb levels when compared to healthy subjects. The highest hair Al, As, and Pb levels were observed in obese CHD patients, significantly exceeding the respective values in other groups. Factorial analysis revealed significant influence of factorial interaction (CHD*obesity) only for hair Pb content. Given the role of obesity as a risk factor for CHD, it is proposed that increased toxic metal accumulation in obesity may promote further development of cardiovascular diseases.
Highlights
The highest hair Al content was observed in obese coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, exceeding the levels in obese and CHD patients by 72% (p < 0.001) and 20% (p = 0.002), respectively
The present findings combined with results from previous observations support an association between toxic metal exposure with obesity and CHD
Increased Al, As, and Pb body burdens were shown to be associated with both obesity and CHD
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are considered as the leading cause of mortality accounting for 17.8 million deaths worldwide with more than 80% of global mortality observed in developing countries [1]. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is associated with nearly one third of all deaths in adults older than 35 years [2]. The majority of CVD cases is associated with exposure to multiple risk factors, whereas only 2–7% of patients have no risk factors [3]. Dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, stress, and obesity are considered as modifiable
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