Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Guldbrand, Carl
• Barregard, Lars
• Sallsten, Gerd
• Forsgard, Niklas
• Lundh, Thomas
• Borné, Yan
• Fagerberg, Björn
• Engström, Gunnar
• Bergström, Göran
• Harari, Florencia

Titel

Low-level exposure to lead and atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries: Results from the Swedish population-based cohort SCAPIS

Ist Teil von

• Environmental research, 2024-03, Vol.244, p.117900-117900, Article 117900

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Lead exposure is associated with cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis has been hypothesized to be one of the underlying mechanisms behind this association. To investigate whether lead exposure is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries in a large Swedish population-based cohort. We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the population-based Swedish CardioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), including 5622 middle-aged men and women, enrolled 2013–2018. Blood lead (B–Pb), measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, was used as exposure biomarker. The presence of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries (yes/no), total plaque area (mm2) and the presence of large plaques (>25 mm2) were determined by ultrasonography. Associations between B–Pb and the different outcomes were analysed using Poisson and linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders. Atherosclerotic plaque was present in 57% of the individuals, for whom the median total plaque area was 16 mm2 (range: 0.2–222). The median B–Pb concentration was 14 μg/L (range: 0.75–203). After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals in the fourth quartile of B–Pb (Q4) had a prevalence ratio (PR) for plaque of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.16) when compared with the first quartile (Q1). A 10 μg/L increase in B–Pb concentrations was associated with an increase of 0.92 mm2 (95% CI: 0.14, 1.71) in total plaque area. The PR for large plaque was 1.09 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.42 for Q4 vs Q1). This study shows an association between B–Pb and atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries providing some support for the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is one of the mechanisms underlying the association between lead exposure and cardiovascular disease. •Few studies have assessed the association between lead exposure and risk for plaque.•We studied a large cohort of Swedish middle-aged men and women (n = 5622).•Individuals in Q4 of blood lead had an 8% increased risk for plaque compared to Q1.•Increasing blood lead was associated with a larger total plaque area.•Atherosclerosis may be one underlying mechanism in the link between lead and CVD.