Lead exposure biomarkers and mini-mental status exam scores in older men

Background: Lead is neurotoxic; yet, whether cognitive decline in older persons is associated with lead exposure is unknown. We studied whether lead exposure biomarkers are associated with cognitive test scores, as well as the modifying effects of age on the lead-cognition relationship. Methods: Lead exposure biomarkers and Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores were measured among subjects in the Normative Aging Study. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the cross-sectional association of these 2 variables. Results: We found an odds ratio (OR) of 2.1 for MMSE Conclusions: Increased levels of lead in bone and blood are inversely associated with cognitive performance among older men. Lead exposure might accelerate age-associated cognitive decline.