ISSN 2149-2263 | E-ISSN 2149-2271
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Evaluation of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in lead-exposed workers [Anatol J Cardiol]
Anatol J Cardiol. 2017; 18(1): 10-14 | DOI: 10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2017.7170

Evaluation of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in lead-exposed workers

Uğur Nadir Karakulak1, Ömer Hınç Yılmaz2, Engin Tutkun3, İhsan Ateş4, Ceylan Bal5, Meside Gündüzöz2
1Department of Cardiology, Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital; Ankara-Turkey
2Department of Clinical Toxicology, Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital; Ankara-Turkey
3Department of Public Health, Bozok University Faculty of Medicine; Yozgat-Turkey
4Department of Internal Medicine, Numune Research and Training Hospital; Ankara-Turkey
5Department of Biochemistry, Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

Objective: Lead exposure has been associated with various cardiovascular disorders. It may also cause increased inflammation and fibrosis in the arterial system resulting in an increase in arterial stiffness. In this study, the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI), which is a technique that measures arterial stiffness, was evaluated in occupationally lead-exposed workers.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 68 lead-exposed workers without known cardiovascular risk factors and 68 healthy subjects were evaluated according to the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitorization (ABPM) profiles and blood and 24-hour urine lead levels. A regression slope of diastolic over systolic blood pressure (BP) was computed in each participant. AASI was defined as 1 minus the regression slope.
Results: There were no significant differences in terms of baseline demographic, clinical, echocardiographic characteristics, and ABPM profiles between the groups. In lead-exposed workers, the mean age was 34.7±8.1 years, and the median blood and urine lead levels were 40.5 μg/dL and 34.9 μg/L, respectively. AASI was 0.42±0.10 in lead-exposed workers and 0.37±0.10 in control subjects (p=0.007). In correlation analysis, AASI was correlated with both blood (r=0.417, p<0.001) and urine lead (r=0.242, p=0.047) levels. In regression analysis, blood lead level was found to be associated with AASI (β=0.086, p<0.001).
Conclusion: AASI, which is an indicator of arterial stiffness, was found to be higher in lead-exposed workers than in healthy individuals. Increased AASI may be considered an early sign of arterial involvement in case of lead exposure.

Keywords: Lead exposure, arterial stiffness, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, dipping

Uğur Nadir Karakulak, Ömer Hınç Yılmaz, Engin Tutkun, İhsan Ateş, Ceylan Bal, Meside Gündüzöz. Evaluation of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in lead-exposed workers. Anatol J Cardiol. 2017; 18(1): 10-14

Corresponding Author: Uğur Nadir Karakulak, Türkiye
Manuscript Language: English


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