Exposure to Hair Metals and Metal Mixtures Associated with Blood Lipids and Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults: Evidence from a National Cross-Sectional Study

    July 2025 in “ Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety ”
    Yunjiang Yu, Wenjie Meng, Xiaohui Zhu, Zongrui Li, Tong Zheng, Ping He, Ying Yu, Chenyin Dong, Zhenchi Li, Hongxuan Kuang, Mingdeng Xiang, Xiaodi Qin, Yang Zhou
    TLDR Higher levels of molybdenum and lead in hair are linked to increased cholesterol and dyslipidemia risk.
    This study, involving 407 Chinese adults, investigated the relationship between hair metal exposure and dyslipidemia. It found that higher hair concentrations of molybdenum (Mo) and lead (Pb) were positively associated with increased cholesterol levels and higher odds of dyslipidemia. Conversely, calcium (Ca) and cadmium (Cd) were inversely associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and Cd was negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The study highlighted that Mo and Pb had the strongest associations with dyslipidemia, with a synergistic effect amplifying the risk when both were present. An antagonistic interaction between Cd and Pb was also observed, suggesting complex interactions between different metals in influencing dyslipidemia risk.
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