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. 1999 Mar;89(3):330–335. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.3.330

Lead and hypertension in a sample of middle-aged women.

S A Korrick 1, D J Hunter 1, A Rotnitzky 1, H Hu 1, F E Speizer 1
PMCID: PMC1508610  PMID: 10076481

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The role of lead exposure as a risk factor for hypertension is less well defined among women than among men. This case-control study assessed the relation of blood and bone lead concentrations to hypertension in women. METHODS: Cases and controls were a subsample of women from the Nurses' Health Study. Hypertension was defined as a physician diagnosis of hypertension between 1988 and 1994 or measured systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mm Hg. RESULTS: Mean (SD) blood lead concentration was 0.15 (0.11) mumol/L; mean tibia and patella lead concentrations by K-x-ray fluorescence were 13.3 (9.0) and 17.3 (11.1) micrograms/g, respectively. After adjustment for potentially confounding factors, an increase from the 10th to the 90th percentile of patella lead values (25 micrograms/g) was associated with approximately 2-fold (95% confidence interval = 1.1, 3.2) increased risk of hypertension. There was no association between hypertension and either blood or tibia lead concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support a potentially important role for low-level lead exposure as a risk factor for hypertension among non-occupationally exposed women.

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Selected References

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