Blood lead level is associated with elevated blood pressure in blacks

Chronic lead exposure has been associated with elevated blood pressure in epidemiological studies. It is not known whether the previously observed relation between blood lead and hypertension persists after significant reductions have been made in environmental lead contamination. We examined the relation between blood lead levels and blood pressure in a representative sample of 14 952 whites and blacks aged 18 years or older who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Blood lead was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and blood pressure by standard sphygmomanometry. Mean blood lead levels were significantly higher for black men and women (5.4 and 3.4 microg/dL, respectively) compared with white men and women (4.4 and 3.0 microg/dL, respectively). After multivariate adjustment for important covariables, each standard deviation higher blood lead (3.3 microg/dL) was associated with a 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19 to 1.44) mm Hg and a 1.55 (95% CI, 0.47 to 2.64) mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure among black men and women, respectively. In contrast, blood lead level was not associated with blood pressure among white men or women. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of hypertension associated with a 1-SD higher level of blood lead was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.19) for black men and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.21 to 1.61) for black women. These findings suggest that increased levels of blood lead remain an important environmental risk factor for elevated blood pressure in blacks.     

Dietary sodium intake and incidence of congestive heart failure in overweight US men and women: first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional epidemiologic studies suggest that a higher intake of dietary sodium is associated with an increased risk of left ventricular hypertrophy. We studied the relationship between dietary sodium intake and incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study participants. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 5233 nonoverweight and 5129 overweight men and women without a history of CHF at their baseline examination. Dietary sodium and other nutrient intake estimates were obtained by a 24-hour dietary recall method at the baseline examination, conducted from 1971 to 1975. The incidence of CHF was assessed using medical records and death certificates obtained in 1982 to 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1992. RESULTS: During an average of 19 years of follow-up, we documented 413 cases of CHF in nonoverweight and 679 cases of CHF in overweight participants. After adjustment for known CHF risk factors, the relative risk of CHF among overweight participants was 1.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.91) for those whose sodium intake was greater than 113.6 mmol/d compared with those whose intake was less than 50.2 mmol/d. The relative risks of CHF for a 100-mmol/d higher intake of sodium or per 1743 kcal (average energy intake in the study population) were 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.53) and 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.40), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A higher intake of dietary sodium is a strong independent risk factor for CHF in overweight persons. A reduction in sodium intake may play an important role in the prevention of CHF in overweight individuals and populations.     

Blood lead and chronic kidney disease in the general United States population: results from NHANES III

BACKGROUND: High lead exposure is associated with hypertension and renal dysfunction but the effect of low-level environmental exposure is not as well studied. METHODS: We examined the association between blood lead and renal function among a representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized United States population with and without hypertension, age 20 years old or older, participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (N=15211). Elevated serum creatinine was defined as >or=99th percentile of each race-sex specific distribution for healthy young adults and chronic kidney disease (CKD) as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. RESULTS: Among persons with and without hypertension, mean blood lead was 4.21 and 3.30 ug/dL, respectively, the prevalence of elevated serum creatinine was 11.5% and 1.8%, respectively, and CKD was 10.0% and 1.1%, respectively. Among persons with hypertension, a graded association was present between higher quartile of blood lead and a higher odds ratio of both an elevated serum creatinine and CKD. Comparing the highest to lowest quartile of blood lead, the multivariate adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of an elevated serum creatinine and CKD were 2.41 (1.46, 3.97) and 2.60 (1.52, 4.45), respectively. The analogous adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) among normotensives were 1.09 (0.53, 2.22) and 1.09 (0.41, 2.89), respectively. Associations were consistent when modeling lead as a continuous variable and in all subgroups except smokers. CONCLUSION: In the United States population with hypertension, exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with CKD. Reduction of lead exposure may reduce the burden of CKD in the community.     

Effect of blood pressure on early decline in kidney function among hypertensive men

Few cohort studies have examined the longitudinal association between change in blood pressure and decline in kidney function among treated hypertensive patients without chronic kidney disease. We conducted a nonconcurrent cohort study to examine the effects of blood pressure on estimated glomerular filtration rate and early kidney function decline (rise in serum creatinine > or =0.6 mg/dL during follow-up) among 504 African-American and 218 white hypertensive patients. Our results showed that each standard deviation higher treated systolic (18 mm Hg) and diastolic (10 mm Hg) blood pressure was associated with an average annual decline (95% confidence interval [CI]) in estimated glomerular filtration rate of -0.92 ([-1.49 to -0.36] P=0.001) and -0.83 ([-1.38 to -0.28] P=0.003) mL x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2), respectively, after adjustment for race, age, education, income, use of antihypertensive drugs, body mass index, and history of diabetes and dyslipidemia. Likewise, each standard deviation higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure was associated with relative risks (95% CIs) of 1.81 ([1.29 to 2.55] P<0.001) and 1.55 ([1.08 to 2.22] P=0.046), respectively, for early kidney function decline. Compared with patients with a blood pressure level <140/90 mm Hg, those with a blood pressure level > or =160/95 mm Hg had a -2.67 ([-4.01 to -1.32] P<0.001) mL x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2) greater annual decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate and a 5.21-fold ([2.06 to 13.21] P<0.001) greater risk of early kidney function decline. Our study found that higher levels of treated blood pressure were positively and significantly related to early decline in kidney function among hypertensive men. These results indicate that better blood pressure control might prevent the onset of chronic kidney disease among hypertensives.     

Disseminated histoplasmosis with conjunctival involvement in an immunocompromised patient

We report a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a 37-year-old male acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient from south India. The patient presented with high-grade fever, cough, conjunctival nodule and papulonodular hyperpigmented skin lesions. Histology of skin lesions and conjunctival nodule showed numerous intracellular Periodic Acid Schiff-positive rounded yeast cells within macrophages. Bone marrow aspirate confirmed disseminated histoplasmosis. The patient showed dramatic response after starting treatment with Amphotercin B.