Blood Lead Level Is Negatively Associated With Bone Mineral Density in US Children and Adolescents Aged 8-19 Years

ContextThe relationship of lead (Pb) exposure with bone health in children and adolescents remains controversial. ObjectionWe aimed to investigate the association of blood lead levels (BLL) with bone mineral density (BMD) in American children and adolescents using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005-2010. MethodsWe analyzed 5,583 subjects aged 8-19 years (mean age, 13.49 +/- 3.35 years) from the NHANES 2005-2010. BLL was tested using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck. Multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the association between BLL and BMD, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, poverty income ratio (PIR), body mass index (BMI), serum calcium, and serum phosphorus. ResultsBLL was negatively correlated with BMD at different sites of interest in children and adolescents. For every 1mg/dl increase in BLL, the BMD of the total spine, total hip, and femoral neck decreased by 0.011 g/cm(2), 0.008 g/cm(2), and 0.006 g/cm(2). In addition, Pb affected the lumbar spine more than the femur. The effect estimates were stronger in girls than boys at the lumbar spine (P for interaction= 0.006). This negative association remained significant in American children and adolescents after excluding individuals with BLL more than 3.5 ug/dl. ConclusionOur study indicates that BLL is negatively correlated with BMD at different sites of interest in children and adolescents aged 8-19 years, even in the reference range. More research is needed to elucidate the relationships between Pb and bone health in children and adolescents, including specific mechanisms and confounding factors like race/ethnicity, gender, and age.

Automated summary

This study investigated the association between blood lead levels (BLL) and bone mineral density (BMD) in American children and adolescents. The results showed a negative correlation between BLL and BMD at different sites, with a stronger effect in girls. These findings suggest that even within the reference range, increased BLL has a detrimental impact on bone health.