Korean J Fam Pract. 2018; 8(2): 195-200  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2018.8.2.195
Blood Cadmium Levels and Diabetes Mellitus or Prediabetes among Adults in Korea: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2010
Ki-Young Lim, Soo-Young Kim*
Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea
Soo Young Kim
Tel: +82-2-2224-2406, Fax: +82-2-2224-2409
E-mail: hallymfm@gmail.com
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3205-9408
Received: March 30, 2017; Revised: September 26, 2017; Accepted: October 7, 2017; Published online: April 20, 2018.
© 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: Cadmium has been shown to influence insulin secretion in animal studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between serum cadmium levels and the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in Korea.
Methods: The study participants were 5,799 adults (age >19 years) who underwent blood cadmium concentration measurements, without in the 2008–2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. To analyze the general characteristics of the participants, a chi-square test was performed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between blood cadmium levels and the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes.
Results: No association was observed between serum cadmium levels and the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes adults. When adjusted for age, gender, and residential area, serum cadmium levels were associated with the prevalence of prediabetes in the upper 25% group (odds ratio [OR], 1.271; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.024–1.579) compared to the lower 25% group of blood cadmium levels. However, when adjusted for age, gender, residential area, waist circumference, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, serum cadmium levels were not associated with the prevalence of prediabetes in the upper 25% group (OR, 1.226; 95% CI, 0.967–1.555) compared to the lower 25% group of blood cadmium levels, or diabetes in the upper 25% group (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.717–1.410) compared to the lower 25% group of blood cadmium levels.
Conclusion: Based on the results, we could not determine any association between blood cadmium levels and the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes.
Keywords: Blood Cadmium; Diabetes; Prediabetes; Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
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