Cadmium in Human Diseases: It ’s More than Just a Mere Metal

AbstractCadmium (Cd), poisoning has been reported from all around the World, causing many deaths annually. Cd is a toxic heavy metal, and is widely present in environment. It has been reported that chronic  Cd exposure is associated with kidney disease, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Smoking causes exposure to significantly higher Cd levels in humans. Tobacco smoke transports Cd into the lungs. Blood then transport it to the rest of the body where it increases effects by potentiati ng Cd that is already present from Cd-rich food. Other high exposures of Cd can occur with people, who live near hazardous waste sites, or factories that release Cd into the air and people who work in the metal refinery industry. Breathing of Cd can severely damage the lungs and may even cause death . Multiple studies have shown an association between environmental exposure to hazardous chemicals including toxic metals and obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. At the same time, the existing data on the impact of Cd exposure on obesity and diabetes are contradictory. On the converse, result s of epidemiologic studies linking Cd exposure and Osteoporosis, overweight or obesity are far less consistent and even conflicting, also depending on differences in exposure levels. In turn, laboratory studies demonstrated that Cd adversely affects adipose tissue physiopathology through several mec hanisms, thus contributing to increased insulin resistance and enhancing diabetes. However...
Source: Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research