Air Quality Criteria for Lead Volume II of II - (NEPIS)(EPA) - US ...

AX6-157
Table AX6-5.1 (cont’d). Effects of Lead on Blood Pressure and Hypertension
Reference, Study
Location, and
Period Study Description Pb Measurement Findings, Interpretation
Asia (cont’d)
Nomiyama et al.
(2002)
China, Beijing
No statement on
dates of data
collection
123 female Pb-exposed leaded crystal toy
workers, mean age (range) 27.3 (17-44) yrs,
and 70 female sewing workers (reference
group), mean age (range) 24.2 (16-58) yrs
were tested. Forward stepwise multiple
regression models of systolic and diastolic
blood pressure of the combined groups
were used with linear blood Pb and a set of
covariates. Variables with p < 0.2 were
allowed to enter. The covariate set was
selected from a larger set of potential
covariates by factor analysis, and a
representative variable from each factor
was selected for possible entry in the
regressions.
Alternate models were constructed using
four ordered categories of blood Pb, instead
of the linear continuous blood Pb variable.
Logistic regressions were used to determine
the odds of elevated systolic (∃125 mm Hg)
and elevated diastolic (∃80 mm Hg) blood
pressure as a function of blood Pb category.
Blood Pb mean
(SD, range) in Pb
workers: 55.4
(13.5, 22.5-
99.4 µg/dL
Blood Pb mean
(SD, range) in non-
Pb workers:
6.4 (1.6, 3.8-
11.4) µg/dL
Adjusted for age, urine protein, and plasma triglyceride, each 1 µg/dL increase in
linear blood Pb significantly associated with a 0.13 mm Hg increase in systolic
blood pressure (no SE or CI given; p = 0.0003). Adjusted for plasma triglyceride,
age, urine protein, plasma low density lipoprotein, and hypertension heredity, each
1 µg/dL increase in linear blood Pb was associated with a 0.10 mm Hg increase in
diastolic blood pressure (no SE or CI given; p = 0.0001).
Using the ordered categories of blood Pb and the same covariates for systolic and
diastolic blood pressure, the 40-60 µg/dL group had 4.2 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.0, 8.5)
higher systolic blood pressure and 4.1 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.3, 6.8) higher diastolic
blood pressure than the reference group (blood Pb (