Blood lead level and pressoric levels in pregnant women

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: INTRODUCTION: Human exposure to lead has been linked to several health problems, including hypertension, which during pregnancy is the main cause of maternal mortality in Brazil and in developed countries. Although the pathophysiology of hypertension during pregnancy is not completely known, the importance of the immune system is known, and in this arm the lead's ability to act in this pathophysiology. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between Blood Lead Level(BLL) and Blood Pressure(BP) levels of pregnant women participating in the Pilot Study of the PIPA project. METHODS: METHOD: 97 pregnant women participating in the study (PIPA) who had serum lead levels obtained in the third trimester were selected. His blood pressures were categorized into 2 groups: altered BP or normal BP, and compared with serum levels of maternal lead, which were also categorized as: Blood Lead Level 5 μg / dL or Blood Lead Level 5 μg / dL. RESULTS:RESULTS: Among the 97 patients: 20 patients had their BP altered, and 34 patients had Blood Lead Level 5 μg / dL. From this relationship, a Prevalence Ratio of 1.51 was found (CI 95%; 0.69-3.29). CONCLUSIONS:CONCLUSION: The present study found a positive relationship between Blood Lead Level in the mother's bloodstream and her blood pressure, corroborating with the literature. The small number of patients does not allow us to guarantee statistical significance, requiring more studies to find consistent results. KEYWORDS: Lead, Hypertension, pregnancy