Trace Element Levels in the Elders over 80 from the Hainan Province of China

Trace elements are key regulators of metabolism and physiological pathways, and their levels change during aging. Hair, as a biological sample, has attracted much attention due to its ease of collection and slow substance metabolism. Also, trace elements in hair can reveal the distribution of essential nutrients and toxic elements in the body pools. Therefore, we investigated the lifestyle and dietary status by questionnaire and measured 8 trace elements in hair and 6 elements in blood of a sample of elders over 80 residing in Hainan province of China. Our data showed that the concentration of Se, Fe and Pb dropped as people grow older, but Mn rose. Changes in trace elements may affect enzyme activity and biological pathways, and are associated with many diseases, including cancer and chronic diseases. In addition, association between age-related diseases and trace elements are increasingly being reported, suggesting that approaches of combining nutrition with longevity studies in the further study will help us to identify the mechanisms whereby trace elements affect the aging process.