The Association Between Heavy Metals in Food and Alzheimer's Disease in Korean Elderly People

Abstract

This study was to investigate the association of dietary heavy metal exposure with Alzheimer′s disease (AD) among elderly people (89 dementia patients and 118 normal) recruited from General Hospital and Alzheimer Center in Seoul, Korea in 2011. AD was diagnosed by a psychiatrist based on the criteria recommended by Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer′s Disease and related Disorders Association. A questionnaire was administered for general characteristics and dietary intake was obtained using 3-day food records. Blood samples were taken to evaluate the heavy metal exposure levels of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic; all of which are highly attainable through food consumption. The AD group, which consumed more fish compared to the normal group (p=0.0444), was associated with an increased risk of AD (OR=2.69, 95% CI 1.03–7.04). We also found that subjects who consumed more fish was associated with an increased risk of high serum cadmium level (OR=2.59, 95% CI 1.03–6.54). Other than cadmium however, lead, mercury, and arsenic has no statistically significant differences in both groups. These findings suggest that people who have higher cadmium exposure level from fish consumption may have increased risk of AD. (This work was supported by the KFDA (11162 hazardous material 701)).