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Reduced blood lead levels linked to lower blood pressure
Researchers have linked a decade-long decline in the blood lead levels of American Indian adults to long-term cardiovascular health benefits, including reduced blood pressure levels and a reduction in a marker associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Reduced blood lead levels linked to lower blood pressure. Photo: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash
The research found that adults who had the greatest reductions in blood lead levels saw their systolic blood pressure fall by about 7 mm Hg, an amount comparable to the effects of blood pressure-lowering medication.
Lead exposure is known to harm the health of children by damaging the brain and nervous system and slowing growth and development. It has also been associated with increased risks for heart disease in adults.
“This is a huge win for public health, especially since many American Indians can face higher risks for elevated lead levels,” said Anne E. Nigra, Ph.D., the senior study author and an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City.
“Compared to the general U.S. population, American Indian communities experience both a higher burden of cardiovascular disease and elevated metal exposure. We saw that even small decreases in a person’s blood lead levels can have meaningful health outcomes.”
Investigators partnered with 285 American Indian adults. Participants lived in one of four tribal communities in Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, or South Dakota.
The authors explained that features of the built environment can lead to elevated lead exposure in tribal communities. This includes being exposed to lead through well water, local waterways, foods, including canned goods, herbs, and spices, as well as paint and dust.
For this retrospective review, the researchers looked at blood lead levels and blood pressure readings over time. Lead was first measured in blood collected during a 1997-1999 study visit and again in blood collected during a follow-up visit between 2006-2009.
During these visits, participants had their blood pressure taken and participated in medical exams that included echocardiographs, a test to assess the heart’s structure and function.
To support equal comparisons among participants, researchers controlled for multiple factors, including social variables, including education and income, cardiovascular disease risks, and medical history.
At the start of the study, the average blood lead level was 2.04 µg/dL. Throughout the study, the average blood lead level fell by 0.67 µg/dL, or 33%.
The most significant changes occurred in participants with average starting blood lead levels of 3.21 µg/dL and who experienced reductions of about 1.78 µg/dL, or 55%. This drop was linked to a 7 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure.
Nigra and the study authors credit these improvements in large part to public health policies and efforts implemented in recent decades to reduced lead exposure through paint, gasoline, water, plumbing, and canned items.
The decline in blood lead levels observed in the study are similar to those seen in the general U.S. population in recent years, but exposure to elevated levels of lead and other metals have been disproportionately higher among American Indians.
“The reductions in blood pressure are comparable to improvements one sees with lifestyle changes, such as getting 30 minutes of daily exercise, reducing salt intake, or losing weight.”
The investigators noted the importance of also conducting this research in other communities, especially for populations with elevated risks for lead exposure and cardiovascular disease. (National Institutes of Health)
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