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Blood lead levels and bone turnover with weight reduction in women

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 19, pages 90–96 (2009)Cite this article

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 μg/dl, and directly associated with age (r=0.49, P<0.0001). After severe WL (−37.4±9.3 kg, n=17), BPb increased by 2.1±3.9 μg/dl (P<0.05), resulting in BPb levels of 1.3–12.5 μg/dl. M-WL (−5.6±2.7 kg, n=39) and WM (0.3±1.3 kg, n=17) did not result in an increase in BPb levels (0.5±3.2 and 0.0±0.7 μg/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.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jane Kwon for her technical assistance in the laboratory. This research was supported by the NIEHS sponsored UMDNJ Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease, Grant number: NIEHS P30ES005022, in part by NIH-AG12161, and a Busch Biomedical Award to SA Shapses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, 08901, New Jersey, USA

    Claudia S Riedt, Hasina Ambia-Sobhan & Sue A Shapses

  2. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) at Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, 08854, New Jersey, USA

    Brian T Buckley & George G Rhoads

  3. NJ Bariatrics and Princeton Medical Center, 4250 US Route 1 North, Princeton, 08540, New Jersey, USA

    Robert E Brolin

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  1. Claudia S Riedt
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Correspondence to Sue A Shapses.

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Riedt, C., Buckley, B., Brolin, R. et al. Blood lead levels and bone turnover with weight reduction in women. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 19, 90–96 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2008.5

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