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Association Between Essential and Non-essential Metals, Body Composition, and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults

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Abstract

Growing evidence indicates that metal exposure is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, mixed results have been reported. The aim of this study was to clarify associations of exposure to essential and non-essential metals with body composition and risks of obesity and MetS. Anthropometry and blood biochemistry of metabolic parameters were obtained from 150 middle-aged Taiwanese adults. Plasma metals were assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and body compositions were measured by a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The essential metals of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and chromium (Cr) were positively correlated with the body fat mass but inversely correlated with the skeletal muscle mass (all p < 0.05). An adjusted logistic regression showed that Mn [odds ratio (OR) = 1.624 (95% confidence interval 1.072, 2.462), p = 0.02] and, to a lesser extent, Cu [OR = 1.501 (0.985, 2.292), p = 0.059] predicted abdominal obesity, while plasma Cu [OR = 2.211 (1.146, 4.266), p = 0.02] and zinc (Zn) [OR = 2.228 (1.048, 4.736) p = 0.04] predicted MetS. Significant correlations between dyslipidemia and lithium [OR = 1.716 (1.080, 2.726)], Cu [OR = 2.210 (1.415, 3.454)], Mn [OR = 2.200 (1.320, 3.666)], molybdenum [OR = 1.853 (1.160, 2.958)], and Zn [OR = 1.993 (1.186, 3.349)], and between boron [OR = 2.583 (1.137, 5.868)] and hyperglycemia were observed (all p < 0.05). Exposure to essential metals may affect the body composition and metabolic profiles, exacerbating the risk of MetS.

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Acknowledgements

Authors would like to thank the technique assistances of Trace Element Research Center, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, and Dr. Skalny Laboratory Asia-Pacific promotion center.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology,Taiwan (MOST 109–2923-B-038–001-MY3) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (No. 20–515-S52003). Dr. JS Chang was also supported by the grants from the Taipei Medical University Hospital (110TMU-TMUH-109) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 109–2923-B-038–001-MY3, MOST 110–2320-B-038–046). Российский Фонд Фундаментальных Исследований (РФФИ),No. 20–515-S52003,Anatoly V. Skalny,Ministry of Science and Technology,Taiwan,MOST 110–2320-B-038–046,Jung-Su Chang,MOST109-2923-B-038–001-MY3,Jung-Su Chang,Taipei Medical University Hospital,110TMU-TMUH-109,Jung-Su Chang

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Metabolism and Obesity Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yi Jing Ngu, Ching-Feng Chiu & Jung-Su Chang

  2. IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny, Alexey A. Tinkov, Vladimir N. Nikolenko & Dmitry A. Zotkin

  3. KG Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management, 109004, Moscow, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny

  4. Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia

    Alexey A. Tinkov

  5. Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chien-Sung Tsai

  6. Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chien-Sung Tsai

  7. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chun-Chao Chang

  8. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Collage of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chun-Chao Chang

  9. College of Nutrition, Master Program in Food Safety, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yung-Kun Chuang

  10. School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Jung-Su Chang

  11. Nutrition Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Jung-Su Chang

  12. Chinese Taipei Society for the Study of Obesity (CTSSO), Taipei, Taiwan

    Jung-Su Chang

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  1. Yi Jing Ngu
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Contributions

Conceptualization, J.S.C., A.V.S., and A.A.T.; methodology, Y.K.C., C.F.C., and C.S.T.; validation, A.V.S. and A.A.T.; formal analysis, Y.J.N.; investigation, Y.J.N.; resources, Y.K.C. and C.F.C.; data curation, C.F.C.; writing—original draft preparation, J.S.C.; writing—review and editing, Y.K.C. and C.F.C.; supervision, C.S.T., A.V.S., and A.A.T.; project administration, C.S.T.; funding acquisition, J.S.C. and A.V.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jung-Su Chang.

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Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Taipei Medical University Hospital (201,502,018).

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Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

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Ngu, Y.J., Skalny, A.V., Tinkov, A.A. et al. Association Between Essential and Non-essential Metals, Body Composition, and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults. Biol Trace Elem Res 200, 4903–4915 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-03077-3

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