Toxic metals found in daily environments can accumulate in the body and may worsen cardiovascular disease, a new study shows.
“Pollution is the greatest environmental risk to cardiovascular health,” the study’s lead author, Katlyn E. McGraw, said in a release. “Given the widespread occurrence of these metals due to industrial and agricultural activities, this study calls for heightened awareness and regulatory measures to limit exposure and protect cardiovascular health.”
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A team of researchers at Columbia University examined health data of 6,400 U.S. adults who did not have heart disease when they joined the study between 2000 and 2002. By tracking urine samples, the researchers measured the build-up of six metals that have been linked to heart disease: cadmium, cobalt, copper, tungsten, uranium and zinc. People are exposed to cadmium through tobacco smoke and to the other metals through fertilizers, batteries, nuclear energy production and other factors.
Researchers found that the people with the highest levels of each of the metals in their urine had the highest risk of developing atherosclerosis, a disease caused by plaque building up in the arteries that can reduce blood flow to organs.
People in the group with the highest concentration of cadmium had 75% higher levels of atherosclerosis over the study period compared to those in the group with the lowest level of cadmium concentration. Those with the greatest concentrations of copper and zinc in their urine had a 33% and 57% higher risk of calcification of the arteries, respectively. People in the groups with the largest amounts of tungsten, uranium and cobalt had a 40% to 50% elevated risk for atherosclerosis, according to the research.
The study highlighted the “critical associations of metal exposure from environmental pollution to cardiovascular health,” said Harlan M. Krumholz, editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, in which the study was published Wednesday. “It challenges us to broaden our approach to (cardiovascular disease) prevention beyond traditional risk factors and to advocate for stronger environmental regulations, and it underscores the need for continued research in this critical area.”