Korean J Fam Pract. 2017; 7(2): 172-178  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2017.7.2.172
Association between Heavy Metal Exposure and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Adults of South Korea
Jae-man Lee, Kyo-jin Seok*, Joo-young Ryu, Woo-sung Jung, Joon-beom Park, Kwang-hyun Shin, Se-jeong Jang
Department of Family Medicine, Kwak’s Hospital, Daegu, Korea
Kyo-jin Seok
Tel: +82-53-252-2401, Fax: +82-53-253-3017
E-mail: sniper912@hanmail.net
Received: May 13, 2016; Revised: July 6, 2016; Accepted: July 27, 2016; Published online: April 20, 2017.
© The Korean Academy of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Interest in understanding the effects of heavy metal exposure is growing. As a result, interest in diseases associated with heavy metals is also growing. In this regard, this study aimed to identify the effects of heavy metals on the components and morbidity rate of metabolic syndrome.
Methods: This study targeted 1,827 people (909 men and 918 women) who had the five components of metabolic syndrome among adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the 6th National Health and Nutrition Survey. Data from year 1 of the survey were used. In regard to the analysis of heavy metal exposure, cadmium and lead concentrations in the blood were measured by using the PerkinElmer Analyst 600 based on graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Mercury concentration in the blood was measured by using DMA-80 based on the gold amalgam method.
Results: The blood concentration of cadmium correlated with the prevalence of high blood pressure. The blood concentration of mercury correlated with the prevalence of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome. The blood concentration of lead did not show any statistically significant correlation.
Conclusion: Among the heavy metals analyzed in this study, cadmium correlated with high blood pressure. Mercury correlated with abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome. Hence, excessive exposure to heavy metals should be prevented and emission of heavy metals should be reduced.
Keywords: Cadmium; Lead; Mercury; Metabolic Syndrome
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