Non-occupational lead exposure and hypertension in Northern Italy

Background. Previous research has addressed the issue that low-level blood lead concentration could be assodated with an increased risk of hypertension. Methods. This paper examines the cross-sectional association between blood lead and hypertension in 630 adult males not employed in activities characterized by spedfic exposure to lead and living in two Northern Italien dties (Verona and Brescia). The participants, aged 26–69 years, constituted a random sample of the patients in the practice of a general practitioner (Verona) and of regular blood donors (Brescia). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of selected variables (blood lead, blood cadmium, zinc erythroprotoporphyrin, haemoglobin, whole blood being hypertensive. Results. The blood lead concentration (range: 4.3–46.9 µg/dl; median: 14.8 (µg/dl) was very similar in the two samples, whereas the prevalence of hypertension was significantty higher in the Verona sample than in the Brescia sample (20.4% versu...