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Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Insulins | Research article

Sex differences in the link between blood cobalt concentrations and insulin resistance in adults without diabetes

Authors: Yong Chen, Haobin Huang, Xiaowei He, Weiwei Duan, Xuming Mo

Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

Little is known about the effects of environmental cobalt exposure on insulin resistance (IR) in the general adult population. We investigated the association between cobalt concentration and IR.

Methods

A total of 1281 subjects aged more than 20 years with complete blood cobalt data were identified from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2016 cycle. Blood cobalt levels were analyzed for their association with IR among all populations and subgroups by sex. Regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of blood cobalt concentrations in association with fasting glucose, insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were estimated using multivariate linear regression after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, alcohol consumption, body mass index, education level, and household income. A multivariate generalized linear regression analysis was further carried out to explore the association between cobalt exposure and IR.

Results

A negative association between blood cobalt concentration (coefficient = − 0.125, 95% CI − 0.234, − 0.015; P = 0.026) and HOMA-IR in female adults in the age- and sex-adjusted model was observed. However, no associations with HOMA-IR, fasting glucose, or insulin were found in the overall population. In the generalized linear models, participants with the lowest cobalt levels had a 2.74% (95% CI 0.04%, 5.50%) increase in HOMA-IR (P for trend = 0.031) compared with subjects with the highest cobalt levels. Restricted cubic spline regression suggested that a non-linear relationship may exist between blood cobalt and HOMA-IR.

Conclusions

These results provide epidemiological evidence that low levels of blood cobalt are negatively associated with HOMA-IR in female adults.

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Title: Sex differences in the link between blood cobalt concentrations and insulin resistance in adults without diabetes
Authors: Yong Chen
Haobin Huang
Xiaowei He
Weiwei Duan
Xuming Mo
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Insulins
Insulins
Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Issue 1/2021
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Electronic ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-021-00966-w

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Sex differences in the link between blood cobalt concentrations and insulin resistance in adults without diabetes

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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