Serum lead concentrations and blood pressure levels in pregnant women

Introduction: Human exposure to lead has been associated with various health problems, including hypertension, which is the leading cause of maternal mortality during pregnancy, both in Brazil and in developed countries. Although the pathophysiology of hypertension in pregnancy is not fully understood, the importance of the immune system is clear, as is the ability of lead to play a role in that pathophysiology.

Objective: Assess the relationship between serum lead levels and blood pressure in pregnant women participating in the PIPA project pilot study.

Method: Foram selecionadas 97 gestantes participantes do estudo (PIPA) com níveis séricos de chumbo obtidos no terceiro trimestre. As pressões arteriais foram categorizadas em dois grupos: PA alterada ou PA normal, e comparadas com os níveis séricos de chumbo materno, que foram categorizados como chumbo sérico > 5 μg/dL ou chumbo sérico < 5 μg/dL.

Results: Entre os 97 pacientes, 20 apresentaram PA alterada e 34 apresentaram chumbo sérico > 5 μg/dL. Uma razão de prevalência de 1,51 (IC 95%; 0,69-3,29) foi obtida a partir desta relação.

Conclusion: The present study detected a positive relationship between maternal blood lead levels and blood pressure, corroborating the literature. The low number of patients does not allow us to ensure statistical significance, and further studies are needed to obtain consistent results.

Keywords: Lead; Hypertension in Pregnancy; Environmental Pollution.