Age-related differences in hair trace elements: a cross-sectional study in Orenburg, Russia

Abstract

Background: Age-related differences in the trace element content of hair have been reported. However, some discrepancies in the data exist.

Aim: The primary objective of this study was to estimate the change in hair trace elements content in relation to age.

Subjects and methods: Six hundred and eighteen women and 438 men aged from 10–59 years took part in the current cross-sectional study.

Results and conclusions: Hair Cr, Mn, Ni, Si, Al, As, Be, Cd and Pb tended to decrease with age in the female sample, whereas hair Cu, Fe, I, Se, Li and Sn were characterised by an age-associated increase. Hair levels of Cr, Cu, I, Mn, Ni, Si and Al in men decreased with age, whereas hair Co, Fe, Se, Cd, Li and Pb content tended to increase. Hair mercury increased in association with age in men and in women, whereas hair vanadium was characterised by a significant decrease in both sexes. The difference in hair trace element content between men and women decreased with age. These data suggest that age-related differences in trace element status may have a direct implication in the ageing process.

• Age
• hair
• mercury
• trace elements
• vanadium

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful commentaries that helped us to improve the manuscript. We would like to thank Professor Yuliya Guseva, PhD (Rutgers University, Piscataway Township, NJ) for correction of the English language. The current research is supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science within project No. 2014/258-544. The authors are thankful to the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their extraordinary help in improvement of the manuscript’s quality.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.