Table 2.
Prior studies of mercury and cardiovascular events in humans.
| Author, Year | Design | Country | Exposure | Outcome | No. of Cases | Relative Risk (5% CI) with High Mercury * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahlqwist, 1999 | Prospective cohort | Sweden | Serum mercury | Total myocardial infarction, Stroke | 87, 77 | RR = 0.71 (0.40, 1.26)† for MI; RR = NS (data not reported) for stroke |
| Hallgren, 2001 | Prospective (nested) case-control | Sweden | Erythrocyte mercury | Total myocardial infarction | 78 | RR = 0.51 (0.21, 1.24) |
| Guallar, 2002 | Retrospective case-control | 8 European countries and Israel | Toenail mercury | Nonfatal myocardial infarction | 684 | RR = 2.16 (1.09, 4.29) |
| Yoshizawa, 2002 | Prospective (nested) case-control | USA | Toenail mercury | Total myocardial infarction + coronary revascularization | 470 | RR = 1.03 (0.65, 1.65) |
| Virtanen, 2005 | Prospective cohort | Finland | Hair mercury | Total acute coronary events | 282 | RR = 1.66 (1.20, 2.29) |
| Wennberg, 2007 | Prospective (nested) case-control | Sweden | Erythrocyte mercury | Stroke | 369 | RR = 0.99 (0.93, 1.06) in men; RR = 1.00 (0.94, 1.08) in women |
*
Multivariable-adjusted relative risk (RR) comparing the highest vs. the lowest category of mercury levels, except for Wennberg et al. for which the RR corresponds to each one ng/g increase in erythrocyte mercury.
†
Personal communication (Calle Bengtsson, June 6, 2006). NS = nonsignificant.