Lead exposure and heart disease

When we think about the health effects of lead contamination, the biggest worry is for babies and young children. Lead, a heavy metal that is widespread in the environment, can harm developing brains. But growing evidence suggests that low levels of lead in the blood may also raise the risk of heart disease in adults. Last year, a study in Lancet Public Health found a link between lead exposure and a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The data came from more than 14,000 people in the United States who were adults in the late 1980s. The association persisted after researchers controlled for many confounding factors, and was evident even among people with blood lead levels of less than 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). Until 2013, only levels higher than 10 µg/dL were considered worrisome, and mainly for children. Lead’s legacy “Today, average blood lead levels are just over 1 µg/dL, down from an average of 10 µg/dL in the 1980s,” says Dr. Rose Goldman, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. But there is no safe blood level of lead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even though the body eliminates about half of the blood lead in the urine after one to two months, a portion of it goes into the bones, where it can stay for decades, she says. Bone tissue constantly remodels itself, and that stored lead can be released back into the bloodstream in response to different conditions, including pregnancy, bre...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Environmental health Heart Health Source Type: blogs