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Abnormalities of Selected Trace Elements in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
1Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
Insights
Coronary artery disease patients show an imbalance of essential and toxic elements in their blood compared to healthy individuals. Lead and chromium levels were significantly higher in patients, indicating a potential link between elemental imbalance and heart disease.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Environmental Health
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is multifactorial, with growing interest in the role of elemental level imbalances.
- Previous research has focused on the association between elemental profiles and cardiovascular health.
- This study investigates the distribution of key elements in CAD patients versus healthy controls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comparatively analyze the distribution of essential and toxic elements in the blood of coronary artery disease patients and healthy subjects.
- To explore the correlations and clustering patterns of these elements within patient and control groups.
- To identify potential associations between elemental variations and demographic/lifestyle factors.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from CAD patients and healthy controls.
- Elements were quantified using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after microwave digestion.
- Multivariate cluster analysis was employed to analyze elemental relationships.
Main Results:
- Patients exhibited significantly higher blood levels of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) (p < 0.001).
- Moderately higher levels of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) were observed in patients (p < 0.05).
- Distinct elemental clustering patterns were identified between patients and controls, with variations linked to gender, habitat, diet, and smoking.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms an imbalance of toxic and essential elements in the blood of coronary artery disease patients compared to controls.
- Elemental distribution and correlation patterns differ significantly between CAD patients and healthy individuals.
- These findings highlight the potential role of elemental dysregulation in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease.
Background:
Coronary artery diseases are multifactorial, and over the last several decades particular consideration and research have been devoted to investigating the imbalance of patient elemental levels. Our current study aimed to investigate the comparative distribution of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Cr, Cd and Pb in the blood of coronary artery disease patients and healthy subjects.
Methods:
Blood samples collected from both groups were digested into a HNO3-HCLO4 (10:1 v/v) mixture in a microwave oven, followed by quantification of the elements by atomic absorption spectrometry.
Results:
The average levels of Pb and Cr were markedly higher (p < 0.001) while those of Ca, Fe, Cu and Mn were moderately higher (p < 0.05) in blood of the patients compared to the controls. However, correlation study showed divergent relationships between various elements in the blood of both groups. Multivariate cluster analysis revealed two major clusters of the elements for patients: Ca-Mg-Mn-Co-Cd and Pb-Cu-Fe-Zn-Cr; whereas three common groups were observed for controls: Ca-Mg-Zn-Cu, Cr-Mn-Fe and Co-Cd-Pb. Variations in the elemental levels were also observed to be associated with gender, habitat, food and smoking habits of the subjects.
Conclusions:
Overall, the distribution, correlation and apportionment of elemental data indicated an imbalance of the toxic/essential elements in blood of the patients compared to the controls.
Key Words:
AAS; Blood; Cluster analysis; Coronary artery disease; Essential/toxic element.
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