British Regional Heart study

Cardiovascular Effects. There is currently considerable scientific debate as to whether there is a causal relationship between lead exposure and hypertension. Another area of controversy is whether African Americans are more susceptible to the cardiovascular effects of lead than are whites or Hispanics. The evidence from both occupational studies and large-scale general population studies (i.e., National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES II], British Regional Heart Study [BRHS]) is not sufficient to conclude that such a causal relationship exists between PbB levels and increases in blood pressure. The database on lead-induced effects on cardiovascular function in humans will be discussed by presenting a summary of several representative occupational studies followed by a discussion of the findings from the large-scale general population studies. 

S. J. Pococketal. British Regional Heart Study Geographic variations in cardiovascular mortality and the role of water reality. British Medical Journal 1980, pp. 280 1243-1249. 

Shaper AG, Pocock SJ, Walker M, Phillips AN, Whitehead TP, MacFarlane PW (1985) Risk factors for ischaemic heart disease the prospective phase of the british regional heart study. J Epidemiol Community Health 39 197-209... 

Tables 13.4 and 13.5 tabulate cross-sectional epidemiological data for nonoccupational populations sustaining cardiovascular effects from lead exposures using either PbB (Table 13.4) or bone Pb measurements (Table 13.5) as the exposure indicator and BP and/or hypertension as the toxic endpoints. The largest cohorts among these stodies used the exposure marker PbB the U.S. NHANES 11, NHANES 111, and more recent NHANES nationwide surveys (Den Hond et al., 2002 Muntner et al., 2005 Nash et al., 2003 Schwartz 1988 Scinicariello et al., 2010 Vupputuri et al., 2003) and the international surveys. Health Survey for England (HSE Bost et al., 1999), the British Regional Heart Study (BRHS Pocock et al., 1988), and the Belgian Cadmibel Study (BCS Staessen et al., 1993).

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