title: [The cardiovascular risk in chemical factory workers exposed to mercury vapor].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych, Zawodowych i Nadciśnienia Tetniczego, Akademia Medyczna, Wrocław. annaskoc@ak.am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoczyńska
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jedrejko
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Martynowicz
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poreba
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Affelska-Jercha
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinmetz-Beck
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turczyn
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojakowska
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jedrychowska
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury