title: Association between blood lead level and blood pressure in aborigines and others in central Taiwan.
abstract: To investigate the relationship between the blood lead level (BLL) and blood pressure among aborigines and non-aborigines in central Taiwan, a community-based survey that included demographic data, medical history, and blood chemistry analyses was conducted among 2,565 adults during an annual health examination. BLLs were analyzed using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). There was a dose response among the non-aborigines (high BLL odds ratio = 2.97, compared with low BLL) but not among aborigines. Based on multiple linear regression models, BLLs were positively correlated with both systolic (an increase of 0.85 mm Hg/microg/dL) and diastolic (an increase of 0.48 mm Hg/microg/dL) blood pressures after adjusting for age, gender, ethnic group, alcohol consumption, and body mass index. BLLs were higher among aborigines than non-aborigines and were significantly correlated with blood pressure, particularly systolic pressure. The association should be considered causal.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health, China Medical University, No 91, Hsueh-Shin RD, Taichung, Taiwan. wukuo@mail.cmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Hsien-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Li-Hsing
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Sze-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Fang-Yang
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013624:Taiwan / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D007854:Lead