Blood lead level and blood pressure in young adult workers at small workshops

High blood pressure among young adults is presenting an emerging public health problem especially in developing countries. A large sector of them is employed in technical jobs such as small metal workshops, where lead is a commonly shared hazard. The anemic hypertensive effects of lead intoxication have been abundantly discussed; however, its influence on blood pressure of young workers is less clear. This study is designed to identify blood pressure pattern among young adult workers in relation to blood lead levels and some of its possible correlates such as hemoglobin, zinc and copper concentrations in blood. A cross-sectional study, including a randomly selected representative sample of apparently healthy young workers in the central collection of small maintenance workshops in Alexandria, is conducted. After ethical considerations, 260 male workers aged 19 – 29 years accepted to participate in the study. All participants were subjected to a predesigned questionnaire, clinical examination including standardized sitting blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. A venous blood sample was obtained for the required analyses. Occupational activities of the studied group involved welding, melting and metal works. Preliminary results showed that systolic blood pressure was significantly increasing by tertiles of blood lead levels even after consideration of other confounders. Trace elements mainly serum zinc-copper ratio showed negative correlation with systolic blood pressure. It seems that occupational metal intoxication is strongly associated with high blood pressure among young workers. Control strategies for exposures should be adequately inspected and implemented in small workshops with early detection of the affected workers to prevent hypertensive complications.