Rho Jee Hyun, Lee Seungho, Kwon Jung-Yeon, Hong Young-Seoub
Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea.
Environmental Health Center, Dong-A University, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea.
Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 Jan 2;15(1):86. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15010086.
: Korea has higher levels of heavy metals compared to other countries, raising the need to study the health impacts on vulnerable populations. This study examined the effects of heavy metal exposure-lead, mercury, and cadmium-on kidney function in residents of environmentally vulnerable areas compared to the general population in Korea. : Epidemiological studies in vulnerable areas and official data from the Fourth Korean National Environmental Health Survey were analyzed to assess blood levels of lead and mercury and urinary cadmium. An integrated heavy metal concentration was calculated, combining the levels of these metals. Kidney function was evaluated using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), classified into normal, mildly reduced, and impaired. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between heavy metal levels and eGFR. : The integrated heavy metal concentration in vulnerable areas was higher than in the general population. In the general population, increased heavy metal levels were associated with a decrease in eGFR, whereas in vulnerable areas, eGFR increased with higher heavy metal levels. In the general population, a rise in urinary cadmium increased the risk of eGFR decline by 19.9%, while in vulnerable areas, higher urinary cadmium reduced this risk by 23.3%. : Contrasting relationships between heavy metal exposure and eGFR in vulnerable areas versus the general population may be due to long-term exposure and reduced renal excretion. This study underscores the need for continued monitoring in vulnerable areas, and future research should identify eGFR thresholds that correlate with heavy metal level shifts.
与其他国家相比，韩国的重金属含量更高，因此有必要研究其对弱势群体健康的影响。本研究调查了与韩国普通人群相比，环境脆弱地区居民接触铅、汞和镉等重金属对肾功能的影响。分析了脆弱地区的流行病学研究以及第四次韩国国家环境卫生调查的官方数据，以评估血液中的铅和汞水平以及尿液中的镉含量。计算了这些金属水平综合后的重金属综合浓度。使用估计肾小球滤过率（eGFR）评估肾功能，将其分为正常、轻度降低和受损。采用相关性和逻辑回归分析来研究重金属水平与eGFR之间的关系。脆弱地区的重金属综合浓度高于普通人群。在普通人群中，重金属水平升高与eGFR降低有关，而在脆弱地区，eGFR随着重金属水平升高而升高。在普通人群中，尿镉升高使eGFR下降风险增加19.9%，而在脆弱地区，尿镉水平升高使该风险降低23.3%。脆弱地区与普通人群中重金属暴露与eGFR之间的对比关系可能是由于长期暴露和肾脏排泄减少所致。本研究强调了在脆弱地区持续监测的必要性，未来的研究应确定与重金属水平变化相关的eGFR阈值。
