New study links cadmium to more severe flu, pneumonia infections

High levels of cadmium, a chemical found in cigarettes and in contaminated vegetables, are associated with higher death rates in patients with influenza or pneumonia-and may increase the severity of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, according to a new study. "Our study suggests the public in general, both smokers and nonsmokers, could benefit from reduced exposure to cadmium,” said lead author Sung Kyun Park, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Long-term exposure to cadmium, even at low levels, may undermine our defense system in the lungs, and people with high levels of the chemical may not be able to cope with influenza virus attacks, Park said. The study by researchers at U-M, the University of Southern California and the University of Washington is published in the December issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. "The associations we found need to be verified in other populations and also studied with respect to cadmium's potential impact on COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality,” said senior author Howard Hu, professor and chair of USC's Department of Preventive Medicine and an occupational/environmental physician. "Unfortunately, the human body finds it much more difficult to excrete cadmium than other toxic metals, and its presence in many nutritious foods means it is critical to continue reducing sources of environmental pollution that contribute to its presence in air, soil and water.