title: Blood lead level and its association with body mass index and obesity in China - Results from SPECT-China study.
abstract: We aimed to report environmental and blood lead level (BLL) in China, and investigate the relationship of BLL with body mass index (BMI) and obesity. 5558 subjects were enrolled from 16 sites in China. BLL was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Median (interquartile range) of BLL was 44.00 μg/L (29.00-62.16) for men and 37.79 μg/L (25.13-54.35) for women, about twice higher than in U.S.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects in rural and high-economic-status areas had significantly greater BLL (P < 0.001). However, in these areas, the lead levels in drinking water, river water and rice were comparable to or significantly lower than those in urban and low-economic-status areas. After adjustment for age, urbanization, economic status and metabolic factors, BLL was independently associated with BMI in women (P for trend < 0.001), but not in men. In fully adjusted model, increased quartiles of BLL were associated with significantly increased odds ratios of obesity (P for trend < 0.01) in women. In conclusion, BLLs in Chinese adults were much higher than in developed countries. There was a sex-specific association between BLL and BMI. Elevated BLL does not appear to be associated with lead levels in drinking water or rice, suggesting some other exposure source.
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ningjian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yingchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fangzhen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cang
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hualing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dongping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: The Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Baoshan District, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shiyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yingli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007854:Lead