In 52 consecutive adults undergoing cardiac catheterization in Chicago, no single blood metal independently explained obstructive CAD, but Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression showed that higher overall metal burden was associated with worse coronary phenotypes, with lead and mercury as the strongest contributors and enriched relative to NHANES reference populations.
No individual blood heavy metal independently explained obstructive coronary artery disease in this cohort.
Higher overall metal burden, modeled as a mixture with Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression, was associated with worse coronary phenotypes.
Lead and mercury were the strongest contributors to the metal-mixture association with coronary disease phenotypes.
Lead and mercury levels in this cohort were enriched relative to NHANES reference populations.
The study population was racially diverse and socioeconomically vulnerable, and the authors frame metal exposure as a possible underrecognized layer of cardiovascular risk in urban communities.
This small study looked at heavy metals in the blood of 52 adults who underwent cardiac catheterization at a Chicago hospital, a procedure that directly shows blockages in the heart's arteries. The group was racially diverse and included many people facing socioeconomic disadvantage. The researchers compared metal levels with how severe each person's coronary artery disease appeared on angiography. No single metal on its own explained whether someone had significant blockages. However, when the metals were analyzed together as a mixture, higher overall metal burden was linked to worse coronary disease patterns. Lead and mercury contributed the most, and their levels were higher than those seen in national reference data (NHANES). This research suggests that combined environmental exposures may be a hidden contributor to heart disease risk, especially in urban communities with histories of industrial pollution and aging infrastructure. Because the study was small, from a single center, and shows association rather than cause, the findings are early and would need confirmation in larger studies.
Taylor J, Shah P, Specht A, Shah M, Duckett M, Locquiao C, et al.. (2026). Association of Blood Heavy Metal Concentrations with Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease in a Consecutive Single-Center Cardiac Catheterization Cohort.. Cardiovascular toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-026-10214-8