Sørensen N, Murata K, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Weihe P, Grandjean P
Department of Occupational and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
Epidemiology. 1999 Jul;10(4):370-5.
Blood pressure in childhood is an important determinant of hypertension risk later in life, and methylmercury exposure is a potential environmental risk factor. A birth cohort of 1,000 children from the Faroe Islands was examined for prenatal exposure to methylmercury, and at age 7 years, blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability were determined. After adjustment for body weight, diastolic and systolic blood pressure increased by 13.9 mmHg [95% confidence limits (CL) = 7.4, 20.4] and 14.6 mmHg (95% CL = 8.3, 20.8), respectively, when cord blood mercury concentrations increased from 1 to 10 microg/liter cord blood. Above this level, which corresponds to a current exposure limit, no further increase was seen. Birth weight acted as a modifier, with the mercury effect being stronger in children with lower birth weights. In boys, heart rate variability decreased with increasing mercury exposures, particularly from 1 to 10 microg/liter cord blood, at which the variability was reduced by 47% (95% CL = 14%, 68%). These findings suggest that prenatal exposure to methylmercury may affect the development of cardiovascular homeostasis.
儿童期血压是日后患高血压风险的重要决定因素，而甲基汞暴露是一个潜在的环境风险因素。对来自法罗群岛的1000名儿童的出生队列进行了检查，以确定其产前甲基汞暴露情况，并在7岁时测定了血压、心率和心率变异性。在对体重进行校正后，当脐血汞浓度从1微克/升增加到10微克/升时，舒张压和收缩压分别升高了13.9毫米汞柱[95%置信区间（CL）=7.4，20.4]和14.6毫米汞柱（95%CL = 8.3，20.8）。高于这一水平（这一水平对应于当前的暴露限值），未观察到进一步升高。出生体重起到了调节作用，汞对低出生体重儿童的影响更强。在男孩中，心率变异性随汞暴露增加而降低，特别是在脐血汞浓度从1微克/升增加到10微克/升时，此时变异性降低了47%（95%CL = 14%，68%）。这些发现表明，产前甲基汞暴露可能会影响心血管稳态的发育。
