Association between Hypertension and Chronic Arsenic Exposure in Drinking Water: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam⁶  Ismail Khan¹  John Attia⁶  Sheikh Mohammad Nazmul Hassan³  Mark McEvoy⁶  Catherine D𠆞ste⁶  Syed Azim⁴  Ayesha Akhter⁷  Shahnaz Akter⁵  Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah² 

[1] Department of Pharmacology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh; E-Mail:;NGO Forum for Drinking Water, Lalmatia, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh; E-Mail:;Department of Public Health, Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; E-Mail:;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; E-Mail:;Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH), Matuail, Demra, Dhaka 1362, Bangladesh; E-Mail:;Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (CCEB), The University of Newcastle, Lot 1 Kookaburra Circuit, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia; E-Mails:;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College, Targas, Kunia, Gazipur, Dhaka, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh; E-Mail:

关键词: arsenic;    drinking-water;    hypertension;    pulse-pressure;    Bangladesh;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph9124522

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Chronic arsenic exposure and its association with hypertension in adults are inconclusive and this cross-sectional study investigated the association. The study was conducted between January and July 2009 among 1,004 participants from 1,682 eligible women and men aged ≥30 years living in rural Bangladesh who had continuously consumed arsenic-contaminated drinking water for at least 6 months. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg (systolic hypertension) and diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg (diastolic hypertension). Pulse pressure was calculated by deducting diastolic from systolic pressure and considered to be increased when the difference was ≥55 mmHg. The prevalence of hypertension was 6.6% (95% CI: 5.1–8.3%). After adjustment for other factors, no excess risk of hypertension was observed for arsenic exposure >50μg/L or to that of arsenic exposure as quartiles or as duration. Arsenic concentration as quartiles and >50 μg/L did show a strong relationship with increased pulse pressure (adjusted OR: 3.54, 95% CI: 1.46–8.57), as did arsenic exposure for ≥10 years (adjusted OR: 5.25, 95% CI: 1.41–19.51). Arsenic as quartiles showed a dose response relationship with increased pulse pressure. Our study suggests an association between higher drinking water arsenic or duration and pulse pressure, but not hypertension.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2012 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.