[The cardiovascular risk in chemical factory workers exposed to mercury vapor].
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, are a leading cause of death in developing and developed countries. Mercury can induce hypertension and atherosclerosis in experimental animals and humans. The assessment of the effect of mercury on the occurrence of cardiovascular system disturbances in the population is an essential task. The aim of this study was to assess the association between mercury concentration in urine and the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease during ten coming years.


METHODS
The study included chemical factory workers who used mercury in the chlorine production.


RESULTS
The mean urine concentration of mercury in 154 workers was 4.9 +/- 11.2 microg/g creatinine. The most common disease was hypertension.


CONCLUSIONS
The cardiovascular risk was higher in workers exposed to small or moderate mercury levels than in workers exposed to mercury vapor in high concentrations. Furthermore, the negative association was observed between mercury exposure and smoking in workers with low urinary excretion of mercury.
Skoczyńska
Anna
A
Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych, Zawodowych i Nadciśnienia Tetniczego, Akademia Medyczna, Wrocław. annaskoc@ak.am.wroc.pl
Jedrejko
Marta
M
Martynowicz
Helena
H
Poreba
Rafał
R
Affelska-Jercha
Anna
A
Steinmetz-Beck
Aleksandra
A
Turczyn
Barbara
B
Wojakowska
Anna
A
Jedrychowska
Iwona
I
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine*; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011044:Poland; D012307:Risk Factors; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D008628:Mercury