ArticleMedicine2026
Heavy metal exposures and constipation among United States adults: A cross-sectional study.
Article in Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder that can substantially impair quality of life. Environmental exposure to heavy metals has been implicated in gastrointestinal dysfunction; however, population-based evidence regarding their associations with constipation remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of blood lead, mercury, and cadmium levels with constipation among US adults. This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2010 and included 11,014 adults aged ≥20 years. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models were constructed, with metal levels analyzed as log-transformed continuous variables and quartile categories based on the original concentrations. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were performed to assess dose-response relationships. Subgroup analyses, interaction tests, and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. In the fully adjusted model, blood lead and mercury levels were each significantly inversely associated with constipation. Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed blood lead was associated with 50.4% lower odds of constipation (OR = 0.496, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.331-0.745), whereas each 1-unit increase in log-transformed blood mercury was associated with 29.9% lower odds (OR = 0.701, 95% CI: 0.542-0.905). Blood cadmium showed no significant association. RCS analyses further confirmed linear inverse associations of both lead and mercury with constipation, whereas no significant association was identified for cadmium. A significant interaction was identified between educational level and the association between blood lead and constipation (P for interaction = .04). The sensitivity analyses yielded generally consistent results. Blood lead and mercury levels were significantly and linearly inversely associated with constipation among US adults, whereas blood cadmium showed no significant association. Educational attainment may modify the association between blood lead exposure and constipation. Further prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to clarify the nature and underlying mechanisms of these associations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.