3.1 Hair arsenic is associated with the intensity of itch in
arsenic-exposed participants
In the cross-sectional study in Shimen, 1,097 participants were
recruited, 5 missed key information, and 1,092 eligible cases were
included. The mean age was 56.6 ± 12.7 years. A total of 390 (36%)
participants reported different intensity of itch (NRS>0).
Many of them claimed persistent and generalized pruritus during the
interview. The demographic, behavioral, clinical characteristics and
internal exposure assessment are presented in supplementary Table S1.
The hair arsenic was does-dependently associated with the intensity of
itch (P trend=0.001).
The associations of hair arsenic with pruritus are shown in Figure 1.
Hair arsenic showed positive associations with NRS and the prevalence of
moderate and severe itch. Table 1 shows the effect sizes of hair
arsenic. Hair arsenic was identified a risk factor for the intensity of
itch, and 1 μg/g increment in hair arsenic was associated with 13% and
12% increased risks of moderate and severe itch, respectively, after
adjustments.