Blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors of long-term exposure to lead.

Abstract

KIRKBY H, GYNTELBERG F, Bloodpressureand other cardiovascular risk factors of long-termexposure to lead. Scand J Work Environ Health II (1985) 15-19. The coronary risk profile was studied for 96 heavily exposed lead smelter workersemployed between 9 and 45 years and for a referencegroup not exposed to lead but comparable with respect to age, sex, height, weight, social grouping, occupational status, and alcohol and tobacco consumption.The lead smelterworkershad a little higher diastolic blood pressureand significantly more ischemic electrocardiographic changes, and their high-density lipoprotein levels were lower than the corresponding values of the referencegroup. The lead workers with electrocardiographic changes had higher blood pressures than the referents with correspondingchanges. These findings indicate a higher coronary risk profile for the examinedlead smelterworkers. The study supports the hypothesis of a positive association between lead exposure and arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Blood lead and blood pressure: evidence from the Health Survey for England 1995

“…25 Other studies based on large surveys in the USA 26 and UK 27 found significant associations with both measures of BP, while some smaller studies from Wales 28 and Denmark 29 found no significant association with either DBP or SBP.…”

Characterizing Golden Eagle Risk to Lead and Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure: A Review

“…Data collected for a subset of the study population (775 subjects) observed between 1991 and 1995 and for whom complete data were acquired, were analyzed for associations between blood and bone lead concentrations and electrocardiographic abnormalities (e.g., heart rate, conduction defects, arrhythmia). The mean age of the subjects at the time of evaluation was 68 years (range, 48-93 unexposed reference group found a significantly higher incidence of ischemic ECG changes (20%) in the lead workers than in the reference group (6%) (Kirkby and Gyntelberg 1985). Mean PbB was 53 μg/dL in the exposed group and 11 μg/dL in the reference group.…”

“…Effects of lead on glomerular filtration are discussed in Section 3.2.2, Renal Effects. Other cardiovascular changes have been noted in association with increasing lead body burdens and/or lead exposures in humans that include changes in cardiac conduction and rhythm (Böckelmann et al 2002;Cheng et al 1998;Kirkby and Gyntelberg 1985;Kosmider and Petelenz 1962), which may be secondary to lead-induced impairment of peripheral nerve conduction (see Section 3.2.4, Neurological Effects).…”

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“…Myocarditis, electrocardiographic abnormalities, altered heart rate activity, slowed ventricular systole, and vascular degeneration have all been among the reported cardiovascular aberrations detected in human chronically and acutely exposed to toxic lead levels. Environmental and occupational lead exposures that raise blood lead levels above 100 µg % and 60 µg % in adults and children respectively are frequently with transient as well as permanent cardiac and vascular lesions and functional disturbances 14,15,16,17 .…”