WEDNESDAY, June 9, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Blood levels of lead and cadmium currently considered safe may increase the risk of peripheral artery disease, says a study in this week's issue of Circulation.
The study of 2,125 adults found those with the highest blood concentrations of lead or cadmium were nearly three times more likely to develop peripheral artery disease than people with the lowest levels of the two metals in their blood.
The study findings suggest that experts "need to think more carefully about this association and do more experiments with cadmium and lead at lower doses to determine what exposures (to the metals) might be problematic in terms of risk for cardiovascular disease," study author Dr. Eliseo Guallar, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which affects 8 million to 12 million Americans, occurs when fatty deposits build up in artery walls and cause reduced blood circulation, mainly in the arteries to the legs and feet. People with early-stage PAD often experience fatigue or cramping in their legs and buttocks during activity. These symptoms disappear when the person is still.
Lead and cadmium is found in cigarette smoke and in air near industrial plants. The metals are also in certain foods and sometimes in drinking water.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has more about lead.
