Blood Lead Mediates the Relationship Between Biological Aging and Hypertension: Based on the NHANES Database

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2024 Jul 13

PMID 38999891

Authors

Cuixiao Wang

Jinming Su

Jinmiao Li

Wenfei Wei

Zongxiang Yuan

Rongfeng Chen

Wudi Wei

Youjin Huang

Li Ye

Hao Liang

Junjun Jiang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hypertension remains a major global public health crisis due to various contributing factors, such as age and environmental exposures. This study delves into exploring the intricate association between biological aging, blood lead levels, and hypertension, along with examining the mediating role of blood lead levels in the relationship between biological aging and hypertension. We analyzed data from two cycles of the NHANES, encompassing 4473 individuals aged 18 years and older. Our findings indicate that biological aging potentially escalates the risk of hypertension and the incidences of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) abnormalities. Utilizing weighted quantile sum (WQS) and quantile g-computation (QGC) model analyses, we observed that exposure to heavy metal mixtures, particularly lead, may elevate the likelihood of hypertension, SBP, and DBP abnormalities. Further mediation analysis revealed that lead significantly mediated the relationship between biological aging and hypertension and between biological aging and SBP abnormalities, accounting for 64% (95% CI, 49% to 89%) and 64% (95% CI, 44% to 88%) of the effects, respectively. These outcomes emphasize the criticality of implementing environmental health measures.

Citing Articles

The association between novel metabolic parameters and all-cause/cardiovascular mortality in patients with metabolic syndrome is modified by age.

Liu J, Fu Y, Liang P, Song Z, Li Y, Wu H Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2025; 24(1):96.

PMID: 40022121 PMC: 11871838. DOI: 10.1186/s12933-025-02587-x.

Associations between heavy metal exposure and vascular age: a large cross-sectional study.

Feng Y, Liu C, Huang L, Qian J, Li N, Tan H J Transl Med. 2025; 23(1):4.

PMID: 39754096 PMC: 11697934. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-06021-w.

References

Parikh J, Hollingsworth K, Wallace D, Blamire A, MacGowan G . Left ventricular functional, structural and energetic effects of normal aging: Comparison with hypertension. PLoS One. 2017; 12(5):e0177404. PMC: 5426746. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177404. View

Casso A, VanDongen N, Gioscia-Ryan R, Clayton Z, Greenberg N, Ziemba B . Initiation of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol at midlife prevents endothelial dysfunction and attenuates in vivo aortic stiffening with ageing in mice. J Physiol. 2022; 600(21):4633-4651. PMC: 10069444. DOI: 10.1113/JP283581. View

Zhou B, Perel P, Mensah G, Ezzati M . Global epidemiology, health burden and effective interventions for elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2021; 18(11):785-802. PMC: 8162166. DOI: 10.1038/s41569-021-00559-8. View

Wu M, Liu M, Zhang Y, Wu J, Gao M, Huang F . Serum HDL partially mediates the association between exposure to volatile organic compounds and kidney stones: A nationally representative cross-sectional study from NHANES. Sci Total Environ. 2023; 907:167915. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167915. View

de Almeida Lopes A, Silbergeld E, Navas-Acien A, Zamoiski R, da Cunha Martins Jr A, Camargo A . Association between blood lead and blood pressure: a population-based study in Brazilian adults. Environ Health. 2017; 16(1):27. PMC: 5351182. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0233-5. View

Lee S, Kim H, Nam C, Lee H, Ahn S, Oh Y . Age-differential association between serum uric acid and incident hypertension. Hypertens Res. 2018; 42(3):428-437. DOI: 10.1038/s41440-018-0168-4. View

Unger T, Borghi C, Charchar F, Khan N, Poulter N, Prabhakaran D . 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines. Hypertension. 2020; 75(6):1334-1357. DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15026. View

Partridge L, Deelen J, Slagboom P . Facing up to the global challenges of ageing. Nature. 2018; 561(7721):45-56. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0457-8. View

Genchi G, Sinicropi M, Carocci A, Lauria G, Catalano A . Response to Comment on Giuseppe Genchi et al. Mercury Exposure and Heart Diseases. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 74. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017; 14(7). PMC: 5551199. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14070761. View

10.

Zhang Z, Zhao L, Zhou X, Meng X, Zhou X . Role of inflammation, immunity, and oxidative stress in hypertension: New insights and potential therapeutic targets. Front Immunol. 2023; 13:1098725. PMC: 9871625. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1098725. View

11.

Charkiewicz A, Backstrand J . Lead Toxicity and Pollution in Poland. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(12). PMC: 7345175. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124385. View

12.

Borjesson M, Onerup A, Lundqvist S, Dahlof B . Physical activity and exercise lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension: narrative review of 27 RCTs. Br J Sports Med. 2016; 50(6):356-61. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095786. View

13.

Jomova K, Valko M . Advances in metal-induced oxidative stress and human disease. Toxicology. 2011; 283(2-3):65-87. DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2011.03.001. View

14.

Xu J, Zhang Y, Yao M, Wu G, Duan Z, Zhao X . Long-term effects of ambient PM2.5 on hypertension in multi-ethnic population from Sichuan province, China: a study based on 2013 and 2018 health service surveys. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020; 28(5):5991-6004. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10893-y. View

15.

Kwon J, Kim B, Kim E, Kwon K . Interaction between blood cadmium and lead concentration and physical activity on hypertension from the Korean national health and nutrition examination survey in 2008-2013. BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):703. PMC: 10111815. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15614-x. View

16.

Scinicariello F, Abadin H, Murray H . Association of low-level blood lead and blood pressure in NHANES 1999-2006. Environ Res. 2011; 111(8):1249-57. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2011.08.011. View

17.

Martins A, Almeida Lopes A, Urbano M, Carvalho M, Silva A, Tinkov A . An updated systematic review on the association between Cd exposure, blood pressure and hypertension. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021; 208:111636. PMC: 7785863. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111636. View

18.

Franco C, Sciatti E, Favero G, Bonomini F, Vizzardi E, Rezzani R . Essential Hypertension and Oxidative Stress: Novel Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(22). PMC: 9692622. DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214489. View

19.

Schneider J, Rowe J, Garcia-de-Alba C, Kim C, Sharpe A, Haigis M . The aging lung: Physiology, disease, and immunity. Cell. 2021; 184(8):1990-2019. PMC: 8052295. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.005. View

20.

Levine M, Lu A, Quach A, Chen B, Assimes T, Bandinelli S . An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging (Albany NY). 2018; 10(4):573-591. PMC: 5940111. DOI: 10.18632/aging.101414. View