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Sex differences in the relationship between blood mercury concentration and metabolic syndrome risk

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Abstract

Background

Mercury exposure enhances free radical production and reduces activity of anti-oxidant enzymes, resulting in detrimental health effects. Some researchers have reported an association between blood mercury and increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, sex differences in the relationship were not fully considered.

Aim

To examine the sex differences in the relationship between blood mercury concentration and the increased risk of MetS in Korean men and women.

Materials and methods

A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between blood mercury concentration and MetS in 2,976 men and 3,074 women over 19 years of age (aged 19–87 years), using data from the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-V). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between blood mercury concentration and the prevalence risk of MetS after adjusting for confounding variables.

Results

Compared to the lowest quartile of blood mercury concentration, the OR (95 % CI) for MetS of the highest quartile in men was 1.62 (1.15–2.28) after adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, and BMI. Similarly, in multiple logistic regression analysis using log2-transformed blood mercury as a continuous variable, the OR (95 % CI) for having MetS with doubling of blood mercury was 1.20 (1.05–1.36) after adjusting for the same co-variables. However, the relationship was not observed in women after adjusting for the same co-variables.

Conclusions

Blood mercury concentration was independently associated with an increased risk of MetS in men.

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Abbreviations

MetS:

Metabolic syndrome

ROS:

Radical oxygen species

RNS:

Reactive nitrogen species

KNHANES:

Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

IPAQ:

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire

HOMA-IR:

The Homeostasis Model Assessment estimate of Insulin Resistance

BMI:

Body mass index

WC:

Waist circumference

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Ji-Youn Chung

  2. Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 211 Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-720, Korea

    Min-Seok Seo, Jae-Yong Shim & Yong-Jae Lee

  3. Yonsei University Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Min-Seok Seo

Authors
  1. Ji-Youn Chung
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  2. Min-Seok Seo
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  4. Yong-Jae Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yong-Jae Lee.

Additional information

J.-Y. Chung and M.-S. Seo contributed equally to this work.

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Chung, JY., Seo, MS., Shim, JY. et al. Sex differences in the relationship between blood mercury concentration and metabolic syndrome risk. J Endocrinol Invest 38, 65–71 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0132-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0132-3

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