Joo SH, et al. - In this retrospective cross-sectional survey study, researchers examined the association of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prevalence and serum concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and other heavy metals via large survey data analysis. Study participants included 53,829 enrollees of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2013). Using a general linear/logistic regression model of complex sample design, RA prevalence and its associations with serum heavy metals were analyzed. Between patients with RA and control participants, no significant differences in urine levels of arsenic (As) or serum levels of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn) or zinc (Zn) were found. In the Korean population, there was an increased prevalence of RA in women associated with increased serum levels of Cd. No increased risk of RA was observed in men with increased serum Cd levels.