Reduction in ‘blood lead level’ is linked to improvement in heart health: Research – Dainik Savera Times

san francisco: A study has revealed that small drops in ‘blood lead levels’ (blood lead levels) were associated with long-term heart health improvements in American Indian adults. The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association included participants whose blood The largest reduction in lead levels was seen in their systolic blood pressure, a drop of about 7 millimeters of mercury, which was equivalent to the effect of a blood pressure-lowering drug.

“We saw that even small reductions in a person’s blood lead levels can have meaningful health consequences,” said Anne E. Nigra, PhD, assistant professor at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Additionally, researchers found that reduction in blood lead levels was associated with a reduction in markers associated with ‘hypertrophic cardiomyopathy’ and ‘heart failure’.

At the beginning of the study, the average level of lead in the participants’ blood was 2.04 per microgram/dl. Over the course of the entire study, the average blood lead level dropped by 0.67 per deciliter, or 33 percent. The study said participants who had an average blood lead level of 3.21 micrograms/dl and those who had lead dropped by about 1.78 micrograms/dl, or 55 percent. Among those who had experienced a reduction, the most significant changes were associated with a reduction in systolic blood pressure.

The most significant changes, according to the study, were categorized by participants who had an average blood lead level of 3.21 micrograms per deciliter and those who experienced a reduction of about 1.78 micrograms per deciliter, or 55 percent, in systolic blood pressure per 7 millimeters of mercury Hg. “This is a sign that whatever is happening to reduce blood lead levels in these communities is working,” said Mona Puggle, MPH, an epidemiologist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. doing.’

“The reduction in blood pressure is comparable to the improvements you would see with lifestyle changes, such as exercising 30 minutes a day, reducing salt intake or losing weight,” he said. The researchers emphasized that other It is also important to investigate these findings in communities and look for additional ways to reduce lead exposure, particularly in other populations at high risk for exposure and heart disease.