The epidemiology of lead toxicity in adults: measuring dose and consideration of other methodologic issues

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hu H ; Rothenberg S ; Schwartz BS ; Shih R
• Description:
  We review several issues of broad relevance to the interpretation of epidemiologic evidence concerning the toxicity of lead in adults, particularly regarding cognitive function and the cardiovascular system, which are the subjects of two systematic reviews that are also part of this mini-monograph. Chief among the recent developments in methodologic advances has been the refinement of concepts and methods for measuring individual lead dose in terms of appreciating distinctions between recent versus cumulative doses and the use of biological markers to measure these parameters in epidemiologic studies of chronic disease. Attention is focused particularly on bone lead levels measured by K-shell X-ray fluorescence as a relatively new biological marker of cumulative dose that has been used in many recent epidemiologic studies to generate insights into lead's impact on cognition and risk of hypertension, as well as the alternative method of estimating cumulative dose using available repeated measures of blood lead to calculate an individual's cumulative blood lead index. We review the relevance and interpretation of these lead biomarkers in the context of the toxico-kinetics of lead. In addition, we also discuss methodologic challenges that arise in studies of occupationally and environmentally exposed subjects and those concerning race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status and other important covariates. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Biomarkers Demography Energy Metabolism Environmental Exposure Epidemiology Lead Lead Poisoning Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety

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• Keywords:
  Age-groups Analytical-methods Analytical-processes Author Keywords: Adults Bone-disorders Demographic-characteristics Environmental-exposure Epidemiologic Methods Lead Lead-absorption Lead-poisoning Metabolism Statistical-analysis Toxicity

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• ISSN:
  0091-6765
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; Michigan ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  455-462
• Volume:
  115
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20037681
• Citation:
  Environ Health Perspect 2007 Mar; 115(3):455-462
• Contact Point Address:
  H. Hu, Rm. 1518,Vaughan Bldg. (SPH-I), Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 S. Observatory St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029 USA
• Email:
  howardhu@umich.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health Perspectives
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d4bc9543ca0539de4a8f89178520b888a1092c4336660509368f056a41b0ab33454fc484e3de5c2b27614a97e749b04428c9eeb0693bd899f21b7af006b5c236
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191677/cdc_191677_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 501.77 KB ]