Association of urinary thallium with hypertension in children and adolescents aged 8–17 years: NHANES 2005–2018

Hypertension is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thallium is a highly toxic metal that exists in all aspects of our lives and can cause damage to human health. The aim of this study was to identify the potential correlation between urinary thallium (U-Tl) and hypertension in American youth aged 8–17 years. The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) database was mined for cross-sectional information on 2295 American children and adolescents aged 8–17 years. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was utilized to measure U-Tl levels, and the results were categorized into four quartiles (Q1–Q4). Logistic generalized linear models and unweighted restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were used to investigate the relationship between U-Tl and hypertension. After adjusting for covariates, the odds ratios ( OR s) at 95% confidence intervals ( CI s) for hypertension prevalence in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles were 0.43 (0.22–0.81), 0.54 (0.29–0.99), and 0.43 (0.22–0.81), when compared to the lowest quartile ( P for trend = 0.024). RCS plot showed a negative linear correlation between log2-transformed U-Tl levels and hypertension ( P for non-linearity = 0.869). Subgroup analysis based on sex indicated a statistically significant link between U-Tl and hypertension in male ( P < 0.05). There is a negative linear relationship between U-Tl and hypertension in American children and adolescents aged 8–17 years with low thallium exposure. Due to the nature of cross-sectional studies, further studies are necessary to validate our conclusions and elucidate possible mechanisms.