Associations between patterns of blood heavy metal exposure and health outcomes: insights from NHANES 2011–2016

Background Extensive research has explored the association between heavy metal exposure and various health outcomes, including malignant neoplasms, hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between patterns of exposure to a mixture of seven heavy metals and these health outcomes. Methods Blood samples from 7,236 adults in the NHANES 2011–2016 studies were analyzed for levels of cadmium, manganese, lead, mercury, selenium, copper, and zinc. Cluster analysis and logistic regression identified three distinct patterns of mixed heavy metal exposure, and their associations with health outcomes were evaluated. Results Pattern 1 exhibited higher odds ratios (ORs) for malignancy during NHANES 2011–2012 (OR = 1.33) and 2015–2016 (OR = 1.29) compared to pattern 2. Pattern 3 showed a lower OR for malignancy during NHANES 2013–2014 (OR = 0.62). For hypertension, pattern 1 displayed higher ORs than pattern 2 for NHANES 2011–2012 (OR = 1.26), 2013–2014 (OR = 1.31), and 2015–2016 (OR = 1.41). Pattern 3 had lower ORs for hypertension during NHANES 2013–2014 (OR = 0.72) and 2015–2016 (OR = 0.67). In terms of heart diseases, pattern 1 exhibited higher ORs than pattern 2 for NHANES 2011–2012 (OR = 1.34), 2013–2014 (OR = 1.76), and 2015–2016 (OR = 1.68). Pattern 3 had lower ORs for heart diseases during NHANES 2013–2014 (OR = 0.59) and 2015–2016 (OR = 0.52). However, no significant trend was observed for diabetes. All three patterns showed the strongest association with hypertension among the health outcomes studied. Conclusions The identified patterns of seven-metal mixtures in NHANES 2011–2016 were robust. Pattern 1 exhibited higher correlations with hypertension, heart disease, and malignancy compared to pattern 2, suggesting an interaction between these metals. Particularly, the identified patterns could offer valuable insights into the management of hypertension in healthy populations.