An assessment of the relationship between excess fluoride intake from drinking water and essential hypertension in adults residing in fluoride endemic areas

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 443; pp. 864 - 869
• Main Authors: Sun, Liyan, Gao, Yanhui, Liu, Hui, Zhang, Wei, Ding, Yunpeng, Li, Bingyun, Li, Mang, Sun, Dianjun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.01.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adult; Adults; adverse effects; Aged; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Biological and medical sciences; Bismaleimides; body mass index; chemically induced; chemistry; Drinking water; Drinking Water - chemistry; Environment. Living conditions; epidemiology; Essential hypertension; ET-1; Excess fluoride intake; Female; Fluorides; Fluorides - administration & dosage; Fluorides - adverse effects; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - chemically induced; Hypertension - epidemiology; Intakes; logit analysis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression; risk; Villages; Water; Asia; China; China, People's Rep., Heilongjiang Prov; Water; Essential hypertension; Adults; ET-1; Excess fluoride intake; Human; Hypertension; Drinking water; Toxicity; Cardiovascular disease; Endothelin 1; Fluorides; Fluorosis; Health and environment; Water quality; Adult; Water pollution; Age; Public health
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.021

In this study, the relationships between high water fluoride exposure and essential hypertension as well as plasma ET-1 levels were investigated. A total of 487 residents aged 40 to 75 were randomly recruited from eight villages in Zhaozhou County from Heilongjiang Province in China and were divided into 4 groups according to the concentrations of fluoride in their water. Consumption levels of drinking water fluoride for normal, mild, moderate, and high exposure groups were 0.84±0.26mg/L, 1.55±0.22mg/L, 2.49±0.30mg/L, and 4.06±1.15mg/L, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension in each group was 20.16%, 24.54%, 32.30%, and 49.23%, respectively. There were significant differences between all the groups; namely, with the increase in water fluoride concentrations, the risk of essential hypertension in adults grows in a concentration-dependent manner. Significant differences were observed in the plasma ET-1 levels between the different groups (P<0.0001). In the multivariable logistic regression model, high water fluoride concentrations (F−≥3.01mg/L, OR4/1=2.84), age (OR3/1=2.63), and BMI (OR2/1=2.40, OR3/1=6.03) were closely associated with essential hypertension. In other words, the study not only confirmed the relationship between excess fluoride intake and essential hypertension in adults, but it also demonstrated that high levels of fluoride exposure in drinking water could increase plasma ET-1 levels in subjects living in fluoride endemic areas. ► Our study is concerned about fluorosis' impact on blood pressure. ► The relationship between high water fluoride and essential hypertension is close. ► Our study first found that high water fluoride can increase subjects' plasma ET-1 levels. ► All results were gained from fluoride endemic areas.