The relationships between blood lead level and nocturia prevalence in US adults

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the association between blood lead level and the prevalence of nocturia in a representative sample of American civilians living outside of institutions. Methods We analyzed data from eight National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) survey cycles spanning from 2005 to 2020, focusing on individuals aged 20 years or older (n = 11,919). Blood lead level was categorized into two groups (< 2 µg/dL and ≥ 2 µg/dL), and the presence of nocturia was assessed based on questionnaire responses. We used multivariable logistic regression models to explore the association between blood lead level and nocturia while adjusting for various covariates, including sex, ratio of family income to poverty (RIP), lipid profile, age, body mass index (BMI), race, citizenship, sleep trouble, diabetes, and hypertension. In order to acknowledge the variation in baseline data regarding the prevalence of nocturia, subgroup analyses were performed. Results Among the study participants, 31.70% reported experiencing nocturia. Nocturia showed significant variations among different demographic and health-related factors. Individuals with higher blood lead level (≥ 2 µg/dL) exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing nocturia compared to those with lower level (< 2 µg/dL) in all three models (Model 1: OR 1.46, 95%CI 1.29–1.66, P < 0.0001; Model 2: OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.07–1.42, P = 0.01; Model 3: OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.07–1.42, P = 0.01). Subgroup analyses revealed significant associations in various subgroups, including age, sex, sleep trouble, diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, and race. Conclusions This study, for the first time, reported the correlation between blood lead level and nocturia. We found that when blood lead levels were ≥ 2 µg/dL, there was a 23% increased risk of nocturia occurrence.