Associations of Metal Mixtures During Early Pregnancy With Midlife Obesity and Body Composition: A Prospective Study
Authors' conclusion
Higher pregnancy levels of arsenic, cesium, mercury, and the mixture of essential metals were associated with lower midlife adiposity.
Study context
- Population
- Pregnant participants of Project Viva with red blood cell metals and plasma folate measured in early pregnancy (mean gestational age 10.0 weeks; mean age 32.9 years), followed to midlife (mean age 51.2 years)
- Participants
- 500 participants
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower metal levels in early pregnancy
- Outcome
- Midlife adiposity: BMI and DXA measures
- Follow-up
- Midlife (mean age 51.2 years)
Methodological detailsProject Viva, Bayesian kernel machine regression for mixtures
- Project Viva
- Bayesian kernel machine regression for mixtures
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Midlife adiposity
- Higher arsenic, cesium and mercury associated with lower midlife DXA % fat, total fat mass index and/or trunk fat mass index, even after adjustment for diet in pregnancy
- Essential metal mixture tended to be associated with lower midlife BMI and obesity risk
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Antagonistic interaction: arsenic associated with higher obesity risk at lower folate levels but lower obesity risk at higher folate levels
Original publication
Associations of Metal Mixtures During Early Pregnancy With Midlife Obesity and Body Composition: A Prospective Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 26 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →