Geochemistry of ground water and the incidence of acute myocardial infarction in Finland

Abstract

Study objective: To examine the association of spatial variation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence and its putative environmental determinants in ground water such as total water hardness, the concentration of calcium, magnesium, fluoride, iron, copper, zinc, nitrate, and aluminium. Design: Small area study using Bayesian modelling and the geo-referenced data aggregated into 10 km610 km cells. Setting: The population data were obtained from Statistics Finland, AMI case data from the National Death Register and the Hospital Discharge Register, and the geochemical data from hydrogeochemical database of Geological Survey of Finland. Participants: A total of 18 946 men aged 35-74 years with the first AMI attack in the years 1983, 1988, and 1993. Main results: One unit (in German degree˚dH) increment in water hardness decreased the risk of AMI by 1%. Geochemical elements in ground water included in this study did not show a statistically significant effect on the incidence and spatial variation of AMI, even though suggestive findings were detected for fluoride (protective), iron and copper (increasing). Conclusions:The results of this study with more specific Bayesian statistical analysis confirm findings from earlier observations of the inverse relation between water hardness and coronary heart disease. The role of environmental geochemistry in the geographical variation of the AMI incidence should be studied further in more detail incorporating the individual intake of both food borne and water borne nutrients. Geochemical-spatial analysis provides a basis for the selection of areas suitable for such research.

Calcium and Magnesium in Drinking Water as Risk Factors for Ischemic Heart Disease

“…Ca from food did not affect levels of total and LDL cholesterol. Results of this study are consistent with the results of many other published studies in which the inverse relationship between water hardness and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality was established [23][24][25]. Persons who consumed medium hard drinking water had a significantly higher rate of incidence of IHD compared to people of the same sex and age who consume hard drinking water.…”

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“…• Si bien existen estudios que relacionan la ingesta de algunos minerales con la hipertensión arterial, el riesgo de eventos y la mortalidad cardiovascular, la certeza y la calidad de los datos sobre la cantidad de minerales ingeridos en forma diaria en muchos de ellos no permite tener evidencias defi nitivas [52][53][54] . Si bien el aporte de ciertos minerales no sódicos provenientes de las aguas podrían contribuir a efectos benefi ciosos sobre la presión arterial y la morbimortalidad cardiovascular, la información no es aún lo suficientemente uniforme 55 .…”

Water fluoridation: It really is this simple

“…Epidemiological research suggests no link between water fluoride levels and heart attacks. [202][203][204] A 1987 clinical case report suggested a possible link between long-term exposure to highfluoride water (8.5 mg/L) and the development of renal disease, [205] but other studies and systematic reviews have found no evidence that consumption of optimally fluoridated drinking water increases the risk of developing kidney disease. However, individuals with impaired kidney function experience higher/more prolonged fluoride exposure after ingestion because of reduced urinary fluoride excretion, and those with end stage kidney disease may be at greater risk of fluorosis.…”