Cadmium and high vitamin A intake are both proposed risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD), but potential
interactions have not been...
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Cadmium and high vitamin A intake are both proposed risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD), but potential
interactions have not been studied. Within the Women’s Health in the Lund Area, a population-based study in southern
Sweden,wemeasured retinol in serumamong 606womenaged 54–64 y. Data onBMDwere measured byDXAat the distal
forearm. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone alkaline phosphatase (bALP), and osteocalcin in serum and deoxypyridinoline
(DPD) and cadmium in urine were available. Associations were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted linear regression
analysis. Serum retinol concentrations (median, 1.9; range, 0.97–4.3 mmol/L) were inversely associated with the bone
formation markers bALP and osteocalcin (P # 0.04) and with PTH (P = 0.07) and tended to be positively associated with
BMD (P = 0.08) but not with the bone resorption marker DPD, indicating different effects on bone compared to urinary
cadmium (median, 0.66; range, 0.12–3.6 nmol/mmol creatinine). Women with serum retinol less than the median and
cadmium greater than themedian had lower BMD than thosewith retinol greater than the median and cadmium less than
the median (P = 0.016 among all women and P = 0.010 among never-smokers). Our findings suggest that adequate
vitamin A status may counteract the adverse association between cadmium and BMD. J. Nutr. 141: 2198–2203, 2011.
