Blood lead and blood pressure in young children

We examined associations between blood lead concentration (BPb) and blood pressure in 282 children age 5.5 years, residing in an exposed or unexposed town in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. Mean BPb in the exposed town was 37.3 mu g per dl (standard deviation = 12.0 mu g per dl) and in the unexposed town was 8.7 mu g per dl (standard deviation = 2.8 mu g per dl). After adjustment, a 10 mu g per dl increase in BPb was associated with a 0.5 (95% CL = -0.2, 1.3) mmHg increase in systolic and a 0.4 (95% CL = -0.1, 0.9) mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. These associations, although compatible with no relation, are similar to those observed in adults; and the data are most consistent with a small association between BPb and blood pressure.