Toenail cerium levels and risk of a first acute myocardial infarction: the EURAMIC and heavy metals study

The association between cerium status and risk of first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was examined in a case-control study in 10 centres from Europe and Israel. Cerium in toenails was assessed by neutron activation analysis in 684 cases and 724 controls aged 70 years or younger. Mean concentrations of cerium were 186 and 173 microg/kg in cases and controls, respectively. Cerium was positively associated with low socio-economic status, smoking, mercury, zinc and scandium (p0.001). Cases had significantly higher levels of cerium than controls after adjustment for age and centre (case-control ratio 1.074; 95% CI 1.002-1.151) and increased in further adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors 1.085; 95% CI 1.025-1.149. The risk after adjustment for age and centre was higher with increasing cerium levels (p for trend=0.02). After adjustment for BMI, history of hypertension, smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes, family history of CHD, beta-carotene, lycopene, alpha-tocopherol, selenium, mercury and scandium, the OR for the highest quintile was 1.43 (95% CI 0.85-2.41; p-trend 0.08). When we applied this same model in non-smokers the odds ratios in the 4th and 5th quintiles of cerium as compared with the lowest were 2.09 (95% CI 1.05-4.16) and 2.81 (95% CI 1.21-6.52), respectively, p-trend 0.011. Our results suggest that toenail cerium levels may be associated with an increased risk of AMI, but more research is warranted to shed further light and fully understand the plausibility and public health implications of these findings.     

能源、发展和气候变化:亚洲和拉丁美洲的考虑

本文介绍了在马来西亚吉隆坡由国际石油工业环境保护协会(IPECA)组织的和在哥斯达黎加圣约瑟由拉西美洲和加勒比海地区石油和天然气公司会(ARPEI)及联合国环境规划署(UNEP)于2002年组织的两个高级区域研讨会的主要发现,这些开讨会的目的是提高对区域发展和气候变化问题的理解,并且识别有效的近期和长斯行动的机会,特别是通过清洁发展机制(CDM),对于清洁发展机制项目,私营部门投资仍然存在经济上、方法上和体制上的障碍,围绕清洁发展机制规则的不确定性,已经从凤想的关心发展到更为实际的对能力的关心,即组织机构能否认一种及时和成本有效的方式审查和批准项目应用.