Details:

Alternative Title:
Environ Health Perspect
Personal Author:
Schober, Susan E. ; Mirel, Lisa B. ; Graubard, Barry I. ; Brody, Debra J. ; Flegal, Katherine M.
Schober, Susan E. ; Mirel, Lisa B. ; Graubard, Barry I. ; Brody, Debra J. ; Flegal, Katherine M. Less -
Description:
Background

Analyses of mortality data for participants examined in 1976–1980 in the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) suggested an increased risk of mortality at blood lead levels > 20 μg/dL. Blood lead levels have decreased markedly since the late 1970s. In NHANES III, conducted during 1988–1994, few adults had levels > 20 μg/dL.

Objective

Our objective in this study was to determine the risk of mortality in relation to lower blood lead levels observed for adult participants of NHANES III.

Methods

We analyzed mortality information for 9,757 participants who had a blood lead measurement and who were ≥ 40 years of age at the baseline examination. Using blood lead levels categorized as < 5, 5 to < 10, and ≥ 10 μg/dL, we determined the relative risk of mortality from all causes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease through Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.

Results

Using blood lead levels < 5 μg/dL as the referent, we determined that the relative risk of mortality from all causes was 1.24 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–1.48] for those with blood levels of 5–9 μg/dL and 1.59 (95% CI, 1.28–1.98) for those with blood levels ≥ 10 μg/dL (p for trend < 0.001). The magnitude of risk was similar for deaths due to cardiovascular disease and cancer, and tests for trend were statistically significant (p < 0.01) for both causes of death.

Conclusion

In a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, blood lead levels as low as 5–9 μg/dL were associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.


Subject:
[+]
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cause Of Death
Female
Humans
Lead
Male
Neoplasms
Nutrition Surveys
Proportional Hazards Models
Risk Factors

Source:
Environ Health Perspect. 2006; 114(10):1538-1541.
Document Type:
Journal Article
Name as Subject:
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (U.S.)
Place as Subject:
United States
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:cd93197354f116b3b0f60cfc7622f68945a690a016ed052ae6d98edaff02bda1
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	ehp0114-001538.nxml	txt
  	ehp0114-001538f1.gif	gif
  	ehp0114-001538f1.jpg	jpeg
  	license.txt	txt

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