title: Association between urinary lead and bone health in a general population from Taiwan.
abstract: Lead accumulates in adult bones for many decades; previous studies have shown lead's detrimental effects on osteoblast and osteoclast activity in association with bone remodeling. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones resulting in low bone mass that induces fragile bones and hence susceptibility of fracture. We estimated the association between urinary lead (U-Pb) levels and bone health in adults participating in the third Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) from 2005 to 2008. A total of 398 participants were divided into normal (T-score>-1), osteopenic (T-score between -1 and -2.5), or osteoporotic (T-score<-2.5) groups according to the results of bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. Heavy metals were measured in urine specimens using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, age (OR=1.08; 95% CI=1.05-1.10), former smokers (OR=2.95; 95% CI=1.22-7.11) and higher U-Pb levels than upper tertile (OR=2.30; 95% CI=1.19-4.48) were associated with osteopenia/osteoporosis. Furthermore, age (OR=1.06; 95% CI=1.02-1.10) and higher U-Pb levels (OR=2.81; 95% CI=1.13-6.97) were significantly associated with osteopenia and osteoporosis in women. These results suggest that adults, particularly in women, with higher U-Pb levels may have increased odds of osteopenia and osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Lin
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Harn
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Teh
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine and Nursing, Department of Nursing, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Trong-Neng
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsinchu Cathay General Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Saou-Hsing
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000652:urine; D012907:Smoking; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007854:Lead