"U.S. Deaths From Lead Exposure Ten Times Higher Than Thought, Study Suggests" - Mark Lieber
Lead exposure may be responsible for nearly ten times more deaths in the United States than previously thought, according to a new study. The new study, which published Monday in The Lancet Public Health, tracked more than 14,000 adults over a period of about 20 years. It found that those individuals with an initial blood lead concentration at the 90th percentile had a 37 percent increase in all-cause mortality and a 70 percent increase in cardiovascular disease mortality compared to those with a blood lead concentration at the 10th percentile. “I think it fits in well with the literature,” said Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, professor of environmental medicine and public health and dean for global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and an expert on environmental pollution in children, who was not involved in the study. "The literature has been showing for many years that lead causes hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease," he added. "This study now shows that the cardiovascular toxicity of lead extends down to lower levels than were previously examined." Ultimately, Dr. Landrigan believes that the results of the study will likely impact how physicians think about lead exposure as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, particularly among older adults.
- Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, Professor, Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Pediatrics, Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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