The association between essential trace element mixture and cognitive function in Chinese community-dwelling older adults

Bei-Jing Cheng; Jun Wang; Xiang-Long Meng; Liang Sun; Bing Hu; Huai-Biao Li; Jie Sheng; Gui-Mei Chen; Fang-Biao Tao; Ye-Huan Sun; Lin-Sheng Yang

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113182

The association between essential trace element mixture and cognitive function in Chinese community-dwelling older adults

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Feb:231:113182. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113182. Epub 2022 Jan 10.

Authors

Bei-Jing Cheng¹, Jun Wang¹, Xiang-Long Meng¹, Liang Sun², Bing Hu², Huai-Biao Li², Jie Sheng³, Gui-Mei Chen⁴, Fang-Biao Tao⁵, Ye-Huan Sun⁶, Lin-Sheng Yang⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
² Fuyang Center for Diseases Prevention and Control, Fuyang, Anhui 236069, China.
³ School of Public Health, Experimental Center for Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
⁴ School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
⁵ School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
⁶ School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China. Electronic address: yhsun_ahmu_edu@yeah.net.
⁷ School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China. Electronic address: yanglinsheng@ahmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35026581
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113182

Abstract

Background: The evidence about the effect of essential trace element (ETE) mixture on cognitive function amongst older adults is limited. This study aims to evaluate the associations of single ETEs and ETE mixture with cognitive function using a representative sample of community-dwelling older adults in China.

Methods: A total of 3814 older adults were included in the study. Urinary concentrations of selenium (Se), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), strontium (Sr), and molybdenum (Mo) were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cognitive function in older adults was assessed using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were performed to explore the associations of single ETEs and ETE mixture with cognitive function, respectively.

Results: Linear regression showed that urinary levels of Se and V were positively associated with MMSE scores in the adjusted single-element models. BKMR also showed marginally positive associations of Se and V with MMSE scores. Moreover, higher urinary levels of ETE mixture were significantly associated with increased MMSE scores in a dose-response pattern, and Se was the most important contributor within the mixture. Both Se and V demonstrated positive additive effects on the associations of other ETEs with MMSE scores, whereas Co had a negative additive effect.

Conclusions: V and Se are positively associated with cognitive function, individually and as a mixture. ETE mixture exhibits a linear dose-response association with improved cognitive function, with Se being the most important component within the mixture. Mixture analyses rather than single ETE analyses may provide a real-world perspective on the relationship between ETE mixture and cognitive function. Further cohort studies are needed to clarify the association of multiple ETEs with cognitive function.

Keywords: BKMR; Cognitive function; Essential trace element; Older adults.

MeSH terms

Aged
Bayes Theorem
Cognition
Humans
Independent Living
Selenium*
Trace Elements*

Substances

Trace Elements
Selenium