Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32651318›Full record

ReviewJournal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD2020

Heavy Metals Exposure and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.

Kelly M Bakulski, Young Ah Seo, Ruby C Hickman, Daniel Brandt, Harita S Vadari, Howard Hu, Sung Kyun Park

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 146 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
146citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
13.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

146 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 324 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Enteric Nervous System Damage by Food Contaminants: A Pathway to Neurodegeneration?Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Association between proximity to a lead-releasing facility and cognition in diverse cohorts.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Mixture of organic pollutants is associated with cognitive aging.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Trial
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Perinatal lead (Pb) exposure and alterations to amyloid beta and metabolic profiles in the brain.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Identification of chemicals targeting dementia genes and pathways in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Protective Effects of Pomiferin on Aluminum Chloride-induced Memory Impairment: Evidence from Behavioral, Biochemical, and Insilico Studies.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article

86 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Kelly M BakulskiDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Young Ah SeoDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Ruby C HickmanDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Daniel BrandtDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Harita S VadariDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Howard HuSchool of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Sung Kyun ParkDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor · USUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

Understanding Breastfeeding Practices Among ECHO Cohort Participants Before and During/After the COVID-19 PandemicUH3OD023285 · OD · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · PI Charles James Barone, MICHAEL R. ELLIOTT · 2018 to 2026
$24.5M
Strategic Vision & Impact on Environmental HealthP30ES017885 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Dana Dolinoy · 2011 to 2026
$21.3M
Prenatal Exposures and Child Health Outcomes: A Statewide StudyUG3OD023285 · OD · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · PI BARONE, CHARLES JAMES, ELLIOTT, MICHAEL R. · 2016 to 2024
$12.9M
Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core CenterP30AG053760 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI ALBIN, ROGER L · 2016 to 2020
$10.1M
DNA Methylation, Genetics, and Modifiable Risk Factors of Dementia in a Nationally Representative, Multi-Ethnic Cohort - Diversity SupplementR01AG067592 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI BAKULSKI, KELLY, WARE, ERIN BAKSHIS · 2020 to 2025
$3.8M
Racial inequalities in health throughout adulthood: The cumulative impact of neighborhood chemical and non-chemical stressors on epigenomic pathwaysR01MD013299 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI HICKEN, MARGARET TAKAKO · 2018 to 2022
$3.7M
Manganese in Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseR01DK123022 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Young Ah Seo · 2020 to 2026
$3.2M
Prenatal exposure to metals and risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder in MARBLES and EARLIR01ES025531 · NIEHS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI VOLK, HEATHER E · 2016 to 2020
$3.2M
Folic Acid Prevention Pathways for ASD in High Risk FamiliesR01ES025574 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI SCHMIDT, REBECCA JEAN · 2015 to 2019
$3.1M
Exposure to Multipollutants and Obesity, Type-2 Diabetes and Metabolic SyndromeR01ES026578 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI PARK, SUNG KYUN · 2016 to 2020
$2.4M
A Longitudinal Study of Endocrine Disruptor Mixtures and Reproductive AgingR01ES026964 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI PARK, SUNG KYUN · 2016 to 2021
$2.4M
Characterizing disparities in late-onset Alzheimer's disease risk through polygenic risk and epidemiologic factors in the Health and Retirement SurveyR01AG055406 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI BAKULSKI, KELLY, WARE, ERIN BAKSHIS · 2017 to 2020
$1.7M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG053760NIA NIH HHS R01 AG055406NIA NIH HHS R01 AG067592NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK123022NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES017885NIEHS NIH HHS R00 ES024340NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES025531NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES025574NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES026578NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES026964NIH HHS UG3 OD023285NIH HHS UH3 OD023285NIMHD NIH HHS R01 MD013299NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS112974
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias lack effective treatment or cures and are major public health challenges. Risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is partially attributable to environmental factors. The heavy metals lead, cadmium, and manganese are widespread and persistent in our environments. Once persons are exposed to these metals, they are adept at entering cells and reaching the brain. Lead and cadmium are associated with numerous health outcomes even at low levels of exposure. Although manganese is an essential metal, deficiency or environmental exposure or high levels of the metal can be toxic. In cell and animal model systems, lead, cadmium, and manganese are well documented neurotoxicants that contribute to canonical Alzheimer's disease pathologies. Adult human epidemiologic studies have consistently shown lead, cadmium, and manganese are associated with impaired cognitive function and cognitive decline. No longitudinal human epidemiology study has assessed lead or manganese exposure on Alzheimer's disease specifically though two studies have reported a link between cadmium and Alzheimer's disease mortality. More longitudinal epidemiologic studies with high-quality time course exposure data and incident cases of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are warranted to confirm and estimate the proportion of risk attributable to these exposures. Given the widespread and global exposure to lead, cadmium, and manganese, even small increases in the risks of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias would have a major population impact on the burden on disease. This article reviews the experimental and epidemiologic literature of the associations between lead, cadmium, and manganese on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and makes recommendations of critical areas of future investment.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseAnimalsCadmiumDementiaEnvironmental ExposureHumansManganeseMetals, HeavyCadmiumManganeseMetals, HeavyCadmiumepidemiologyheavy metalleadmanganesetoxicantwindow of susceptibility

Identifiers

PMID32651318
PMCPMC7454042
OpenAlexW3042153494

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.