P-464: Relationship between mercury in blood and blood pressure in greenlanders and danes

• Published in: American journal of hypertension 2004-05, Vol.17 (S1), p.202A-203A
• Main Authors: Pedersen, Erling B., Jørgensen, Marit E., Pedersen, Michael B., Siggaard, Charlotte, Sørensen, Tina B., Mulvad, Gert, Hansen, Jens C., Asmund, Gert, Skjoldborg, Henning
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 24 Hours Blood Pressure; Greenlanders; Mercury in blood
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1941-7225; 1879-1905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjhyper.2004.03.538

Intake of mercury with food items from sea mammals and fish has been suggested to be involved in cardiovascular disease, but the relationship between mercury in blood and 24 hours blood pressure has never been studied. We studied four groups of healthy subjects stratified according to food intake, ethnicity and living place based on a structured interview, medical history, clinical examination, and a laboratory screening of blood and urine samples. Group 1 comprised Danes living in Denmark consuming European food, Group 2 comprised Greenlanders living in Denmark consuming European food, Group 3 comprised Greenlanders living in Greenland consuming European food, and Group 4 comprised Greenlanders living in Greenland consuming mainly traditional Greenlandic food. Mercury was determined in peripheral blood, and a 24 hours blood pressure measurement was performed. Mercury in blood was highest in Greenlanders and increased when they lived in Greenland and consumed traditional Greenlandic food ( Group 1: 0.0022 mg/kg, Group 2: 0.0071 mg/kg, Group 3: 0.0142 mg/kg, and Group 4: 0.0303 mg/kg ). 24 hours blood pressure was the same in all three groups of Greenlanders. However, 24 hours diastolic blood pressure was lower among Greenlanders than Danes ( 71 versus 76 mm Hg, P< 0.000 ) and pulse pressure was higher ( 54 versus 50 mm Hg, P