The effects of chromium supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

The association between the urinary chromium and blood pressure: a population-based study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The impact of trace elements and heavy metals on human health has attracted widespread attention. However, the correlation between urinary chromium concentrations and blood pressure remains unclear and inadequately reported, and the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between urinary chromium concentrations and blood pressure in adults in the United States (US).

METHODS

We utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 for this study. Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate linear regression were used to explore the association of urinary chromium concentrations with hypertension and blood pressure. Additionally, we also performed subgroup analysis and restricted cubic splines (RCS).

RESULTS

A total of 2958 participants were enrolled in this study. The overall mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were 123.98 ± 0.60, 72.66 ± 0.57 mmHg, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was found in 41.31% of the whole participants. In the fully adjusted model, we did not observe a correlation between urinary chromium concentrations and the risk of hypertension and systolic blood pressure. However, we found a negative association between urinary chromium concentrations and diastolic blood pressure. In subgroup analysis, we observed a positive association between urinary chromium and the risk of hypertension among participants older than 60 years of age and those who were Non-Hispanic Black. The interaction term highlighted the influence of age and race on this positive association. We also found a negative association of urinary chromium with diastolic blood pressure in male, participants who were current smokers, overweight, and other races, as well as those without alcohol use and anti-hypertensive drug use. However, the interaction term only revealed the influence of alcohol consumption on the negative association.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that urinary chromium concentrations may show a negative association with diastolic blood pressure and this association was significantly dependent on alcohol consumption. Besides, a positive association between urinary chromium and the risk of hypertension was also found among participants older than 60 years of age and those who were Non-Hispanic Black.

The role of chromium supplementation in cardiovascular risk factors: A comprehensive reviews of putative molecular mechanisms

In the recent years, micronutrients play an important role in improving body health with preventing and treating of chronic diseases. Chromium is one of the vital minerals involved in the regulation of insulin action. According to abundant evidences this mineral seems to be an essential factor involved in the reduction of insulin resistance and decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Moreover, it has been proposed that Chromium supplementation affects mechanisms involved in blood pressure, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress. For instance, it may affect blood pressure through alteration of the renin-angiotensin system, as well as reducing the angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. Furthermore, Chromium supplementation might help reduce the coronary heart disease rates. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review regarding to the effects of Chromium supplementation on CVDs risk factors with an emphasis on possible molecular mechanisms.

Why Do People Gain Belly Fat in Rural Areas? A Study of Urinary Metal(loid)s and Abdominal Obesity in China

Obesity is prevalent in rural areas of China, and there are inconsistent findings regarding the association between metal(loid) exposure and the risk of obesity. Abdominal obesity (AOB), which reflects visceral fat abnormity, is a crucial factor in studying obesity-related diseases. We conducted a study measuring 20 urinary metal(loid)s, 13 health indicators, and the waist circumference (WC) in 1849 participants from 10 rural areas of China to investigate their relationships. In the single exposure models, we found that urinary chromium (Cr) was significantly associated with the odds of having AOB [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.81 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24, 2.60)]. In the mixture exposure models, urinary Cr consistently emerged as the top contributor to AOB, while the overall effect of mixed metal(loid)s was positive toward the odds of having AOB [adjusted OR: 1.33 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.77)], as revealed from the quantile g-computation model. After adjusting for the effects of other metal(loid)s, we found that the elevation of apolipoprotein B and systolic blood pressure significantly mediated the association between urinary Cr and the odds of having AOB by 9.7 and 19.4%, respectively. Our results suggest that exposure to metal(loid)s is a key factor contributing to the prevalence of AOB and WC gain in rural areas of China.