Relationship between long-term exposure to low-level arsenic in drinking water and the prevalence of abnormal blood pressure

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2013-11, Vol.262, p.1154-1158
• Main Authors: Zhang, Chuanwu, Mao, Guangyun, He, Suxia, Yang, Zuopeng, Yang, Wei, Zhang, Xiaojing, Qiu, Wenting, Ta, Na, Cao, Li, Yang, Hui, Guo, Xiaojuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohol Drinking; Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - toxicity; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cross-sectional study; Drinking Water; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - epidemiology; Inner Mongolia; Male; Middle Aged; Mongolia - epidemiology; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Supply; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.09.045

► We focused on the impact of long-term exposure to low-level arsenic in drinking water on blood pressure, pulse pressure (PP) and arterial blood pressure (MAP). ► The prevalence of hypertension and abnormal pulse pressure (PP) and arterial blood pressure (MAP) is marked among a long-term and low-level arsenic exposure population. ► The prevalence of hypertension and abnormal pulse pressure (PP) as well as arterial blood pressure (MAP) significantly increases with the duration of arsenic exposure. Arsenic increases the risk and incidence of cardiovascular disease. To explore the impact of long-term exposure to low-level arsenic in drinking water on blood pressure including pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 in which the blood pressure of 405 villagers was measured, who had been drinking water with an inorganic arsenic content 30–50 years of arsenic exposure and a 2.95-fold (95%CI: 1.31–6.67) increase in the group with >50 years exposure. Furthermore, the odds ratio for prevalence of abnormal PP and MAP were 1.06 (95%CI: 0.24–4.66) and 0.87 (95%CI: 0.36–2.14) in the group with >30–50 years of exposure, and were 2.46 (95%CI: 0.87–6.97) and 3.75 (95%CI: 1.61–8.71) for the group with >50 years exposure, compared to the group with arsenic exposure ≤30 years respectively. Significant trends for Hypertension (p