title: Blood levels of lead, cadmium, and mercury in the elderly living in institutionalized care in the Czech Republic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is limited research examining the chemical load of toxic metals in the elderly. The aim of the present study was two-fold: to determine the body burden of lead, cadmium and mercury in association with age, gender, locality, lifestyle factors and potential health impacts among this population and to compare the values with blood values from the general Czech population aged 18-64 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lead, cadmium and mercury were examined in the blood of institutionalized senior citizens (46 males, 151 females aged 61-100 years) from two localities in the Czech Republic (Prague and Teplice) from 2009 through 2011. Measurements were made using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Pb, Cd) and a single purpose spectrometer AMA 254 (Hg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Geometric means (GM) of whole blood lead (B-Pb), cadmium (B-Cd) and mercury (B-Hg) levels were 25.3μg/l, 0.55μg/l and 0.21μg/l, respectively. No age-related differences were found for B-Pb and B-Cd levels but a negative correlation with age was observed for B-Hg levels (p=0.04). B-Pb levels in men were significantly higher than in women (GM 29.9μg/l vs. 24.1μg/l). B-Cd was significantly higher in women (GM 0.57μg/l) than in men (0.50μg/l) (p=0.007) and in smokers (GM 1.29μg/l) than in nonsmokers (GM 0.53μg/l) (p=<0.001) and in seniors from Prague (GM 0.60μg/l) compared to those from Teplice (GM 0.43μg/l) (p=<0.001). Seniors with a history of chronic kidney disease, stroke and those using psycho-pharmaceuticals had higher B-Pb levels (p=0.008, 0.04 and 0.05, resp.), seniors diagnosed with atherosclerosis had higher B-Cd levels (p=0.002) and seniors using psycho-pharmaceuticals had higher B-Hg levels (p=0.07). B-Hg levels were also positively correlated with blood albumin levels (p=0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides data on levels of heavy metals in a group of elderly people. Such information is very scarce. Associations with diseases should be the subject of further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research of Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic. Electronic address: jolana.rambouskova@lf3.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Jolana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rambousková
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Population Health Monitoring, National Institute of Public Health, Šrobárova 48, 100 42 Prague 10, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krsková
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research of Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slavíková
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Population Health Monitoring, National Institute of Public Health, Šrobárova 48, 100 42 Prague 10, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Mája
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cejchanová
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Population Health Monitoring, National Institute of Public Health, Šrobárova 48, 100 42 Prague 10, Czech Republic; Department of General Hygiene, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerná
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001822:Body Burden; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Cadmium; Heavy metals in blood; Institutionalized elderly; Lead; Mercury