Lead Exposure May Harm Heart

Long-term exposure to lead may increase the risk of death from heart and artery disease, a study shows. The study included 868 male veterans. Their average age was 67 when the study began. Researchers measured lead in their knee and shin bones. During the 9-year study, 241 men died. Men with the most lead in their bones were six times more likely to die from heart attack, stroke and related conditions than those with the lowest amount of lead. Their risk of death from any case was 2.5 times as high as for men with low lead levels. Current U.S. standards for excess lead exposure are based on lead in blood. But lead remains much longer in bones — perhaps as long as decades. Researchers said current standards probably need to change. The study appeared in the journal Circulation. HealthDay News wrote about it September 8.