Association between blood levels of lead, blood pressure and risk of diabetes and heart disease in workers

Background: Previous studies have supported the association between high le vels of blood lead levels (BLL) and elevated blood pressure. In addition, s ignificant correlations between BLL and a variety of risk factors for blood pressure and diabetes mellitus have been well-established. Objective: To e xamine the relationship between BLL, blood pressure and diabetes as well as other selected social and biochemical factors, among workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This comparative study included 110 industri al workers (exposed to lead in the workplace) and 110 non-industrial worker s (not exposed), all were recruited in the city of Al-Ain, Abu-Dhabi Emirat e, UAE and the groups were evenly matched for age, gender and nationality. Results: The industrial workers had a significantly higher mean of BLL (med ian 81 and geometric mean (GM) 62 mug/dl) than did non-industrial workers ( median 11 and GM 13 mug/dl). In the present study, the lead-exposed group a lso had significantly higher blood lead levels, body-mass index (BMI), syst olic and diastolic blood pressures., fasting blood glucose and plasma level s of total cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase and uric acid than did the no n-exposed group. Furthermore a significant correlation between BLL and syst olic blood pressure was observed. Conclusion: The study supports the hypoth esis of a positive association between lead exposure, high blood pressure a nd risk of diabetes and heart disease.