title: Serum mercury concentration in relation to survival, symptoms, and diseases: results from the prospective population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden.
abstract: A prospective population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden was started in 1968-69 and comprised 1462 women aged 38, 46, 50, 54, or 60 years at baseline. Follow-up studies were carried out in 1974-75, 1980-81, and 1992-93. The baseline study included an extensive medical and dental examination. Serum mercury concentration (beta-HG) was determined in deep-frozen samples from all participants in 1968-69 and in a random subsample of sera from participants in 1980-81, about 20 years after the baseline examination. S-Hg was statistically significantly correlated with number of amalgam fillings at both examinations. Of 30 defined symptoms and 4 different clusters of symptoms, no one was independently correlated with S-Hg measured in the samples from 1968-69, while there was a negative statistically significant correlation with over-exertion and poor appetite in 1980-81. Blood hemoglobin and serum B-12 concentrations in 1968-69 were statistically significantly and positively correlated with S-Hg, while erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the serum concentrations of potassium and triglycerides were significantly and negatively correlated with S-Hg, also after including potential confounders. Blood hematocrit examined in 1980-81 was negatively correlated with S-Hg. When including potential confounders, serum IgA was also statistically significantly correlated with S-Hg, but not in univariate analysis. No statistically significant correlation was observed between S-Hg, on the one hand, and the incidence of diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke, or cancer on the other, while a statistically significant negative correlation was observed with overall mortality when age and education were included as background variables. There were some correlations between biological variables and S-Hg, probably of no negative clinical significance, and we conclude that there is no association between disease and S-Hg on a population basis in middle-aged and older women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnostic Radiology, Göteborg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahlqwist
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lapidus
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Gergdahl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schütz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D004813:Epidemiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D014280:Triglycerides; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D011188:Potassium