Preliminary report on radiation and heart disease.

Using data from the Tri-State and a mathematical model, the hypothesis that low levels of diagnostic radiation can produce both leukemia and heart disease has been tested. The range of radiation considered is within a factor of 10 of 5 rads (0.5-50 rads). Even at the lowest levels, an estimated 5% of the persons exposed suffer damage to the DNA which is subsequently expressed as heart disease or leukemia. The risk of heart disease in an affected group is roughly tripled and there is a 10-fold increase in the risk of leukemia according to preliminary estimates.