scholarly journals Lead Exposure and Cardiovascular Disease among Young and Middle-Aged Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi

Lead and its effects on cardiovascular-related markers were explored in this cross-sectional study of young adults (18–44 years) and middle-aged adults (45–65 years) from the United States using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2009–2016. Degrees of exposure were created using blood lead level (BLL) as the biomarker of exposure based on the epidemiologically relevant threshold of BLL > 5 μg/dL. The mean values, in addition to the percentages of people represented for the markers of interest (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non-HDL-C]) were explored. Among those exposed to lead, the likelihood of elevated clinical markers (as defined by clinically relevant thresholds of above normal) were examined using binary logistic regression. In exploring exposure at the 5 μg/dL levels, there were significant differences in all the mean variables of interest between young and middle-aged adults. The binary logistic regression showed young and middle-aged adults exposed to lead were significantly more likely to have elevated markers (apart from DBP). In all, lead affects cardiovascular-related markers in young and middle-aged U.S. adults and thus we must continue to monitor lead exposure to promote health.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi

Lead exposure among pregnant U.S. women was examined via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2016 data to examine its role in bad cholesterol and oxidative stress. Mean values of the clinical markers non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-c) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), a marker of oxidative stress, were explored. In four quartiles of lead exposure, clinical makers were compared. Binary logistic regression predicted the likelihood of elevated clinical markers in pregnant compared to non-pregnant women, while linear regression was used to examine associations between blood lead levels (BLL) and the clinical markers of interest. Mean non-HDL-c was statistically significantly more elevated in pregnant women than non-pregnant women. Mean GGT levels were more statistically significantly elevated in the highest quartile of BLL exposure among pregnant women than in the lower quartiles. In binary logistic regression models, pregnant women were statistically significantly more likely to have elevated non-HDL-c, while in linear regression BLL was statistically significantly associated with GGT levels in pregnant women. Lead exposure in pregnant women is an issue of public health concern that must continue to be studied.


Diseases ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi ◽  
Barnabas Obeng-Gyasi

In this cross-sectional study, lead exposure among those with a history in military environments was examined. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are clinical markers of blood pressure, while gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a marker of oxidative stress. These markers and their effects on those exposed to military environments were explored using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2009 to 2016. Mean SBP and GGT were significantly elevated in those exposed to military environments, with a moderately significant association existing between blood lead levels (BLLs) and SBP. More attention must be given to lead exposure in military environments to mitigate the risk of exposure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Fung Tsoi ◽  
Chris Wai Hang Lo ◽  
Tommy Tsang Cheung ◽  
Bernard Man Yung Cheung

AbstractLead is a heavy metal without a biological role. High level of lead exposure is known to be associated with hypertension, but the risk at low levels of exposure is uncertain. In this study, data from US NHANES 1999–2016 were analyzed. Adults with blood lead and blood pressure measurements, or self-reported hypertension diagnosis, were included. If not already diagnosed, hypertension was defined according to the AHA/ACC 2017 hypertension guideline. Results were analyzed using R statistics version 3.5.1 with sample weight adjustment. Logistic regression was used to study the association between blood lead level and hypertension. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated. Altogether, 39,477 participants were included. Every doubling in blood lead level was associated with hypertension (OR [95%CI] 1.45 [1.40–1.50]), which remained significant after adjusting for demographics. Using quartile 1 as reference, higher blood lead levels were associated with increased adjusted odds of hypertension (Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1: 1.22 [1.09–1.36]; Quartile 3 vs. Quartile 1: 1.15 [1.04–1.28]; Quartile 2 vs. Quartile 1: 1.14 [1.05–1.25]). In conclusion, blood lead level is associated with hypertension in the general population with blood lead levels below 5 µg/dL. Our findings suggest that reducing present levels of environmental lead exposure may bring cardiovascular benefits by reducing blood pressure.


Author(s):  
Satish Kumar Rao Vavilala ◽  
Indrani Garre ◽  
Sumalatha Beeram

Abstract Aims To correlate the relationship between the ambulatory blood pressure parameters and the occurrence of the antenatal and postnatal adverse maternofetal events in pregnancy. Methods Observational study designed for 50 pregnant patients who had an appointment to the obstetrics with abnormal blood pressure (BP) measurements and for whom ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was studied between January 2019 and June 2019. Data about age, personal history, obstetrics, family, body mass index (BMI), weight gain in pregnancy, values of blood pressure in the appointment, values recorded in ABPM, delivery and newborn, pregnancy and postpartum events, and follow-up of woman and child. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with Minitab 17.0 for Windows. Results Patients demographic data, clinical history, and laboratory results, including the ABPM parameters, were compiled. Antenatal complications occurred in 22 patients (44%), and postpartum complications were found in 41 patients (82%) whose ABPM values were deranged. Antenatal complications were studied using the binary logistic regression analysis for calculating the role each factor played in the development of hypertension. In the sample studied, mean age was 24.980 with a standard deviation of 4.876 (p = 0.003; minimum age of 19 years and maximum age of 38 years), mean weight of patient was 63.71 with a standard deviation of 63.71 (p = 0.001), mean gravida was 1.780 with a standard deviation of 0.910 (p = 0.034), mean gestation weeks at presentation was 33.000 weeks with a standard deviation of 4.086 (p = 0.041), mean birth weight was 2.226 with a standard deviation of 0.797 (p = 0.000), mean maximum diastole was 109.22 with a standard deviation of 16.53 (p = 0.002), mean day maximum systole was 187.2 with a standard deviation of 203.5 (p = 0.009), mean day minimum diastole was 63.50 with a standard deviation of 12.99 (p = 0.013), all of which had statistical significance. It is found that the nighttime diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and daytime maximum systolic blood pressure (SBP) were the best predictors of adverse events. Among antenatal complications (ANC), the most common complication is intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), noted in (n = 19, 86.36%) preterm delivery (n = 17, 77.27%) among the 17 babies who were delivered preterm; 12 (70.5%) needed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care of which 4 (25%) babies died because of prematurity; intrauterine death (IUD) was noted in 7 (31.81%) patients and eclampsia was seen in 5 (22.72%). Nondippers proðle had a worse survival rate at follow-up until delivery compared with those with a dipper proðle. Postnatal complications were seen in 41 patients; among them, 13 patients (31.7%) had abnormal fundus examination, 15 patients (36.58%) required usage of antihypertensive beyond first postpartum, 9 patients (21.95%) required blood transfusion for severe bleeding in the form of postpartum hemorrhage. Binary logistic regression for systolic dippers versus nondippers shows statistical significance in age (p = 0.023), weight (p = 0.038), and para (p = 0.045) (Table 3). Binary logistic regression for diastolic dippers versus nondippers shows statistical significance in age (p = 0.039), weight (p = 0.020), birth weight (p = 0.010), maximum heart rate (p = 0.043), and ANC (p = 0.007) Adverse events occurred most commonly in nondippers. Systole nondippers is noted in (n = 41, 82%). Dippers is noted in (n = 9, 18%), Diastole nondippers is noted in (n = 39, 78%) Dippers is noted in (n = 11, 22%). Conclusion ABPM recorded blood pressure is very precise. ABPM is the advised method for both diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring of hypertensive pregnancy diseases, mainly in situations like whitecoat hypertension, masked hypertension, nocturnal hypertension, and nondipping profile. In patients with high-risk pregnancy, elderly primigravida, and precious pregnancy, who have a high-risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and related complications, early use of ABPM predicts adverse maternofetal events, which when intervened at an earlier date can prevent antenatal and postnatal complications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shingo Nakayama ◽  
Michihiro Satoh ◽  
Takahisa Murakami ◽  
Yukako Tatsumi ◽  
Tomoko Muroya ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims While previous studies have reported the association between serum uric acid (SUA) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) incidence, the sex differences in this association remain controversial. Therefore, we examined the association between SUA levels and CKD incidence in middle-aged adults stratified by sex using data from a large-scale health check-up. Method We analyzed information from the JMDC database, which included the annual health check-up data of Japanese employees and their dependents aged <75 years. Among those individuals, we analyzed data from 138,511 individuals without CKD, kidney disease, or a history of cardiovascular disease at baseline. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or proteinuria. We divided the participants into 9 and 7 groups according to SUA levels for men and women, respectively. A Cox model was applied to assess the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CKD incidence in each SUA level group using an SUA concentration of 4.0–4.9 mg/dL as the reference after adjusting for age, body mass index, current or ex-smoker, current or ex-drinker, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, systolic blood pressure, use of anti-hyperuricemic drugs, and baseline eGFR. Results The mean participant age was 44.1 years, and 29.6% were women. The mean SUA levels were 5.9 mg/dL and 4.1 mg/dL in men and women, respectively. During the mean follow-up period of 4.68 years, 12,589 participants developed CKD. The age-standardized incidence rates for CKD were 17.88/17.80 per 1000 person-years in men/women with SUA concentrations of 4.0–4.9 mg/dL, 209.76 per 1000 person-years in men with SUA ≥11.0 mg/dL, and 73.38 per 1000 person-years in women with SUA ≥ 9.0 mg/dL. The fully adjusted HRs (95% confidence interval [CI], P value) for CKD incidence in the groups with SUA concentrations of <4.0, 10.0–10.9, and ≥11.0 mg/dL compared with those with SUA of 4.0–4.9 mg/dL among men were 1.13 (1.01–1.26, P=0.030), 1.98 (1.32–2.97, P=0.0010), and 3.74 (1.68–8.35, P=0.0013), respectively. In women, the fully adjusted HRs for CKD incidence in the groups with SUA concentrations of <4.0, 8.0–8.9, and ≥9.0 mg/dL were 1.08 (1.01–1.16, P=0.032), 2.39 (1.07–5.35, P=0.034), and 3.20 (0.80–12.8, P=0.10), respectively. Similar results were observed when we performed the sensitivity analysis excluding 8,411 individuals with hypertensive treatment from the main analysis. The HRs for the outcomes caused by the onset of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or proteinuria separately were similar to those for the main results. Conclusion The results of the present study demonstrated an increased risk of CKD in men with SUA concentrations of <4.0 and ≥10.0 mg/dL and <4.0 and ≥8.0 mg/dL in women compared to those with SUA concentrations of 4.0–4.9 mg/dL after adjusting for various covariates. Both high and low SUA levels were risk factors for CKD in middle-aged men and women. Hyperuricemia was demonstrated to cause renal injury due to the intraluminal deposition of uric acid crystals in the renal collecting duct. Hyperuricemia may also induce endothelial dysfunction, activation of the renin-angiotensin system, and induction of inflammation and stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by the induction of cyclooxygenase-2. However, as uric acid is one of the most important antioxidants in human plasma, low SUA levels may increase the risk of CKD incidence through decreased antioxidant activity. These mechanisms are implicated in the pathogenesis of CKD caused by high and low SUA levels. In addition, the SUA levels and ranges associated with increased risks of CKD incidence differed by sex.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H de Havenon ◽  
Alexandra Kvernland ◽  
Alen Delic ◽  
Ka-ho Wong ◽  
Nazanin Sheibani ◽  
...  

Background: Recurrent stroke has higher morbidity and mortality than incident stroke. We evaluated hemodynamic risk factors for multiple recurrent strokes. Methods: We included patients in the SPS3 trial. The primary predictor was the top tertile, compared to the bottom tertile, of the mean systolic blood pressure (mSBP) and blood pressure variability represented as standard deviation (sdSBP) using blood pressures from day 30 of the trial to the end of follow-up. We excluded blood pressures from the first 30 days to reduce confounding from the trial’s intervention. We fit a logistic regression model to ≥2 recurrent strokes from day 30 to the end of follow-up and, to accurately analyze the multiple failure-time data, we ordered the multiple failure events to the Prentice, Williams and Peterson extension of the Cox proportional-hazards model. Results: We included 2,882 patients, of which 223 had a recurrent stroke and 41/223 had ≥2 recurrent strokes for a total of 272 strokes. The mean (SD) number of blood pressure readings was 78.0 (37.4). The etiology of the 272 strokes was 161 (59.2%) lacunar, 22 (8.1%) intracranial atherosclerosis, 10 (3.7%) extracranial atherosclerosis, 24 (8.8%) cardioembolic, and 55 (20.2%) cryptogenic or other. In both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models and PWP Cox models, the top tertile of sdSBP was consistently predictive of multiple recurrent strokes, while mSBP was not (Tables 1/2). Conclusions: We found that in patients with an index lacunar stroke, higher SBP variability, but not mean SBP, was predictive of multiple recurrent strokes of varying mechanisms.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam de Havenon ◽  
Haimei Wang ◽  
Greg Stoddard ◽  
Lee Chung ◽  
Jennifer Majersik

Background: Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) is detrimental in the weeks to months after ischemic stroke, but it has not been adequately studied in the acute phase. We hypothesized that increased BPV in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients would be associated with worse outcome. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed inpatients at our hospital between 2010-2014 with an ICD-9 code of AIS; 213 were confirmed to have AIS by a vascular neurologist. A modified Rankin Score (mRS) after discharge was available in 148/213, at a mean of 86 ± 60 days. In 45/213 the discharge mRS was either 0 or 6, in which case they were included in the final analysis. BPV was measured as the standard deviation (SD) of each patient’s systolic blood pressure readings during the first 24 hours and 5 days of hospitalization (9,844 total readings), or until discharge if discharged in <5 days (Figure 1). The SBP SD was further divided in quartiles. A multivariate ordinal logistic regression with the outcome of mRS, the primary predictor of quartiles of SBP SD, and baseline NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) to control for initial stroke severity. Results: Mean±SD age was 64.2 ± 16.3 years, NIHSS was 12.6 ± 7.9, and mRS was 2.7 ± 2.1. The mean SBP SDs for the first 24 hours and 5 days were 12.1 ± 6.2 mm Hg and 14.1 ± 4.9 mm Hg. In the ordinal logistic regression model, the quartiles of SBP SD for the first 24 hours and 5 days were positively associated with higher mRS (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.74, p = 0.009; OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.63, p = 0.028). This effect became even more pronounced in patients with the highest quartile of variability (OR = 2.76, 95% CI 1.29 - 5.88, p = 0.009; OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.01 - 4.36, p = 0.046). Conclusion: In our cohort of 193 patients with AIS, there was a significant association between increased systolic BPV and worse functional outcome, after controlling for initial stroke severity. This data suggests that increased BPV may have a harmful effect for AIS patients, which warrants a prospective observational study.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Luo

BACKGROUND The depression level among US adults significantly increased during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and age disparity in depression during the pandemic were reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and delay of care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the role of delay of care in depression among those two age groups. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0) data. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years old were included. Depression was measured by Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delay of care were measured by four items: delay of surgery, delay of seeing a doctor, delay of dental care, and delay of other care. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS More than half of participants were older than 65 years old (58.23%) and 274 participants (8.75%) had depression during the pandemic. Delay of dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.04-4.03, P<0.05) and older adults (OR=3.08, 95%CI=1.07-8.87, P<0.05). Delay of surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR=3.69, 95%CI=1.06-12.90, P<0.05). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education level (some college of above) or worse self-reported health had higher likelihood to have depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS This study found that depression among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic was also prevalent. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the effect of delay of surgery and dental care on depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concern on delay of surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of tele-mental health services is also needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive CLINICALTRIAL N/A


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