1. ^aDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA
2. ^bEnvironmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) at Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
3. ^cNJ Bariatrics and Princeton Medical Center, 4250 US Route 1 North, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA

Correspondence: Dr. Sue A. Shapses, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525, USA. Tel.: +732 932 9403; Fax: +732 932 6837; E-mail: Shapses@aesop.rutgers.edu

Received 9 August 2007; Accepted 22 January 2008; Published online 5 March 2008.

Abstract

High bone turnover states are known to raise blood lead levels (BPb). Caloric restriction will increase bone turnover, yet it remains unknown if weight reduction increases BPb due to mobilization of skeletal stores. We measured whole blood Pb levels (²⁰⁶Pb) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 73 women (age 24–75 years; BMI 23– 61 kg/m²) before and after 6 months of severe weight loss (S-WL), moderate weight loss (M-WL), or weight maintenance (WM). Baseline BPb levels were relatively low at 0.2–6.0 g/dl, and directly associated with age (r=0.49, P<0.0001). After severe WL (-37.49.3 kg, n=17), BPb increased by 2.13.9 g/dl (P<0.05), resulting in BPb levels of 1.3–12.5 g/dl. M-WL (-5.62.7 kg, n=39) and WM (0.31.3 kg, n=17) did not result in an increase in BPb levels (0.53.2 and 0.00.7 g/dl, M-WL and WM, respectively). BPb levels increased more with greater WL (r=0.24, P<0.05). Bone turnover markers increased only with severe WL and were directly correlated with WL. At baseline, higher calcium intake was associated with lower BPb (r=-0.273, P<0.02), however, this association was no longer present after 6 months. Severe weight reduction in obese women increases skeletal bone mobilization and BPb, but values remain well below levels defined as Pb overexposure.