American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 129, No. 4: 732-739
Copyright © 1989 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
BLOOD LEAD-BLOOD PRESSURE RELATIONS: ALCOHOL INTAKE AND HEMOGLOBIN AS CONFOUNIDERS
1Department of Environmental Medicine Odense University, J. B. Winslaws Vej 19, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
2The Population Studies in Glostrup Copenhagen County Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark
3Danish National Institute of Occupational Health Copenhagen, Denmark
A cohort of 1, 052 persons (504 men and 548 women) born in 1936 and residing in the Glostrup area, Denmark, underwent a comprehensive physical examination in 1976 at age 40 years, and 966 underwent a complete reexamination five years later. The examinations included blood lead concentration and blood pressure assessment under careful quality control. Complete blood lead and blood pres sure data were available for 861 of these subJects (451 men and 410 women). The median blood lead levels were 13 and 9 µg/i ml at age 40 years and 9 and 6 µg/100 ml at age 45 years in men and women, respectively. A slightly increased blood lead concentration was seen at age 40 years in women with a systolic blood pressure above 14.0 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure above 90 mmHg. Systolic blood pressure in men and women and diastolic blood pressure in women correlated significantly with log blood lead at age 40 years but not at age 45 years, a doubling in blood lead being associated with an Increase in blood pressure of 3 mmHg or less. Of nine potential confounders assessed, only blood hemoglobin and alleged alcohol intake were significantly associated with both blood lead and blood pressure. If one or both confoundera were entered into a multiple regression analysis, all associations between blood lead and blood pressure became nonsignificant, in some cases with a negative regression coefficient. In addition, the blood lead: hemoglobln ratio was poorly associated with blood pressure, particularly in individuals with a low alcohol intake. Because both hemoglobin level and alcohol intake appear to be biolog ically plausible confounders, any independent eflect of low-level lead exposure on blood pressure could not be determined.
alcohol drinking; blood pressure; hemoglobins; hypertension; lead; prospective studies
*Deceased Reprint requests to Dr. Philippe Grandjean, Department of Environmental Medicine, J. B. Winslows Vej 19, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
A. Kuruvilla, V.V. Pillay, P. Adhikari, T. Venkatesh, M. Chakrapani, H.T. Jayaprakash Rao, B. K. Bastia, A. Rajeev, K.M. Saralaya, and M. Rai Clinical manifestations of lead workers of Mangalore, India Toxicology and Industrial Health, October 1, 2006; 22(9): 405 - 413. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. W. Hense Blood Lead Levels and Hypertension JAMA, July 23, 2003; 290(4): 460 - 460. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Nash and E. Silbergeld Blood Lead Levels and Hypertension--Reply JAMA, July 23, 2003; 290(4): 461 - 461. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Nash, L. Magder, M. Lustberg, R. W. Sherwin, R. J. Rubin, R. B. Kaufmann, and E. K. Silbergeld Blood Lead, Blood Pressure, and Hypertension in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women JAMA, March 26, 2003; 289(12): 1523 - 1532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. A. Staessen, H. Roels, R. Fagard, PheeCad Investigators, A. Amery, L. Bieniaszewski, C. J. Bulpitt, H. Celis, P. Dolenc, R. Fagard, et al. Lead Exposure and Conventional and Ambulatory Blood Pressure: A Prospective Population Study JAMA, May 22, 1996; 275(20): 1563 - 1570. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. Hu, A. Aro, M. Payton, S. Korrick, D. Sparrow, S. T. Weiss, and A. Rotnitzky The Relationship of Bone and Blood Lead to Hypertension: The Normative Aging Study JAMA, April 17, 1996; 275(15): 1171 - 1176. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||

