The high levels cadmium, a chemical substance that - among other things - exists cigarettes and vegetables, are associated with an increased risk of death in patients with influenza or pneumonia, according to a new US scientific study. The findings show that cadmium may worsen the symptoms of Covid-19.
The researchers of the universities Michigan, Southern California and Washington, who analysed data on almost 16,000 people (cadmium was measured either in their urine or blood) and published the data in the journal Environmental Health «Environmental Health Perspectives», stressed that long-term exposure to cadmium, even at relatively low levels, can undermine the immune system in the lungs, so that the patient with a respiratory infection cannot fight it effectively.
It was found that those with the highest levels of cadmium in their bodies (either from natural sources or pollution) were on average 15% more likely to die from flu or pneumonia than those with the lowest levels of the same substance in their bodies. The risk was even higher for non-smokers (increased by 27%).
«The associations we found need to be verified in other population groups and also studied in relation to the potential impact of cadmium on mortality and Covid-19 mortality. Unfortunately, the human body has more difficulty in eliminating cadmium than other toxic metals. Its presence in many nutritious foods means that it is critical to continue to reduce cadmium pollution in the environment, which contributes to its increased presence in air, soil and water,» said Professor Howard Hu of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California and urged epidemiologists to take this factor into account when it comes to severe cases of Covid-19.
Cadmium is found in cereals, rice, animal liver and kidneys, soya, certain vegetables, etc.
