Is lead exposure the principal cause of essential hypertension?
Lead is a ubiquitous toxin, known to have adverse effects on the body even at low levels of exposure. In this review we explore whether low lead may be the principal or a major contributory cause of essential hypertension, and whether removal of lead from the environment may eventually reduce both the overall incidence of hypertension and the increased incidence with aging.
Gonick
H C
HC
Nephrology Division, The Burns and Allen Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles 90048, USA. hgonick@ucla.edu
Behari
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D005007:Ethnology; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015994:Incidence; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008954:Models, Biological; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
D002395:Catecholamines; D002614:Chelating Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D011453:Prostaglandins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D007854:Lead; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase