Study finds over 250,000 Americans die each year from low level lead exposure

Monday, March 19, 2018

According to a new study conducted by scientists at Simon Fraser University in British Colombia Americans are dying of cardiovascular disease from low-level lead exposure. The study was published in by The Lancet Public Health. The goal of the study was to determine just how many people in the USA are dying of cardiovascular complications related to low levels of lead exposure.

The study looked at a sample of adults aged 20 years or older who were enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994 and followed up to Dec 31, 2011. The participants had completed a medical examination and home interview. The participants were also checked for the level of lead in blood, cadmium in urine and other minerals that could lead to cardiovascular problems.

The study found that 20% of the participants had a lead level that would place them in the tenth percentile or higher when compared to the general population. The study found that in the general population, 256,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease, and 185,000 die from ischaemic heart disease.

HAVE YOUR SAY
Is it about time that the government finally makes a real effort to protect us from lead poisoning?
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