A National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) study has linked lead exposure in young people to increased risk of arteriosclerosis — hardening and narrowing of the arteries.
NTUH Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine director Su Ta-chen (蘇大成) yesterday said that many people already know that lead exposure in childhood is linked to a lower IQ in adulthood, but their study on young people linked lead exposure to several diseases.
Su said that he and Lin Chien-yu (林建宇), director of En Chu Kong Hospital’s Nephrology Division, and Huang Po-ching (黃柏菁), a professor at the National Health Research Institute (NHRI), tested the urine lead levels of 738 people aged between 12 and 30 (with an average age of 21 years) over the past two years.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
They found a positive correlation between lead levels in urine and the intima-media thickness — a measurement of the innermost two layers of the wall of an artery — of common carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
The higher the urine lead levels were, the thicker the carotid artery intima-media were, Su said.
They found that high lead exposure was also linked to higher insulin resistance and higher blood pressure, as well as higher risks of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, Su said.
A possible reason for exposure to lead causing an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis is that lead exposure can cause changes in DNA methylation within blood cells, which can cause atherosclerosis, he said.
Su said that the research team analyzed data from the US’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and discovered a negative correlation between lead levels in the body and bone density, especially in women of perimenopause age.
An NHRI study also found that the urine lead levels in Taiwanese have gradually declined since leaded gasoline was banned, but recent surveys suggest that the lead levels found in Taiwanese are still higher than seen in many European countries and the US, he said.
As there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects, it is best to avoid any type of lead exposure, Su said, adding that people can turn on the faucet and let the water run for one to two minutes before using it, purchase toys or paint with a lead-free certification and consume food rich in vitamin C to reduce lead levels in the body.
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