{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T20:28:16Z","timestamp":1771532896683,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,21]],"date-time":"2023-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1674259200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan","award":["106-2314-B-385-001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["106-2314-B-385-001"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan","award":["110-2314-B-385-001-MY3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["110-2314-B-385-001-MY3"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Exposure to lead and cadmium has been linked to changes in lipid metabolism and the development of arteriosclerosis, but the role of lipoprotein profiles in this relationship is not well understood, including the potential role of novel lipid biomarkers. Methods: In this study, we enrolled 736 young Taiwanese subjects aged 12 to 30 years to assess the correlation between urine levels of lead and cadmium, lipoprotein profiles, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Results: Higher levels of lead and cadmium were significantly associated with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C), LDL-triglyceride (LDL-TG), and CIMT. Participants with higher levels of lead and cadmium had the highest mean values of CIMT, LDL-C, sdLDL-C, and LDL-TG. In a structural equation model, lead had a direct and indirect association with CIMT through LDL-C and sdLDL-C, whereas cadmium had a direct association with CIMT and an indirect association through LDL-C. Conclusion: Our results suggest higher levels of lead and cadmium are associated with abnormal lipid profiles and increased CIMT. These heavy metals could have additive effects on lipids and CIMT, and the relationship between them may be mediated by lipoprotein levels. Further research is needed to determine the causal relationship.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15030571","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,23]],"date-time":"2023-01-23T03:48:08Z","timestamp":1674445688000},"page":"571","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Association of Urinary Lead and Cadmium Levels, and Serum Lipids with Subclinical Arteriosclerosis: Evidence from Taiwan"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Chien-Yu","family":"Lin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei City 237, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sandy Huey-Jen","family":"Hsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8516-4308","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ching-Way","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Yunlin 640, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2947-8206","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chikang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3542-8552","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fung-Chang","family":"Sung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Services Administration, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Food Nutrition and Health Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ta-Chen","family":"Su","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan"},{"name":"Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan"},{"name":"The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou 558, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Amini, M., Zayeri, F., and Salehi, M. 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