title: Blood Mercury and Insulin Resistance in Nondiabetic Koreans (KNHANES 2008-2010).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood mercury levels are associated with inflammation, and chronic low-grade inflammation is a cause of insulin resistance. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum mercury and insulin resistance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects from the 2008-2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were selected (n=29235) and the relevant data of 5388 subjects (2643 males and 2745 females) were analyzed cross-sectionally. Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was compared according to blood mercury quartiles, and the odds ratio (OR) of having the highest quartile of HOMA-IR according to blood mercury quartiles was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood mercury levels in men and women were 29.4 nmol/L and 20.5 nmol/L, respectively, and fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, and HOMA-IR were significantly correlated with blood mercury levels. The correlation was stronger in men than in women. In men, FBS and HOMA-IR showed step-wise increases as the quartiles of blood mercury increased; only HOMA-IR differed significantly in the third and fourth blood mercury quartiles, compared to the first quartile. In women, however, both FBS and HOMA-IR differed significantly in the third and fourth blood mercury quartiles, compared to the first quartile. Among men, the OR of being in the highest HOMA-IR quartile was greatest for the highest blood mercury quartile (OR=1.720, 95% CI; 1.172-2.526), compared with the lowest quartile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large population-based study, blood mercury levels were weakly correlated with HOMA-IR and may be a risk factor for insulin resistance in nondiabetic Koreans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice and Community Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyu-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice and Community Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: CHA Antiaging Institute, CHA University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Beomhee
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice and Community Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. jchcmc@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Nam-Seok
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Joo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Korean; Mercury; environment; inflammation; insulin resistance