Deaths from heart disease and reduced IQ in children: scientists analyzed data on the effects of lead on the body
[ad_1]
Lead poisoning potentially causes about 5.5 million deaths a year from heart disease and has a detrimental effect on the IQ of young children. This is reported by Science Alerts with reference to a study published in the scientific journal The Lancet Planetary Health. World Bank economists Björn Larsen and Ernesto Sánchez-Triana created a model that analyzed data on the effects of lead on the human body. For the study, they used data from the Global Burden of Disease, Injury and Risk Factors on blood lead levels in people for 2019. They found that about 5.5 million people died from heart disease caused by lead. 90% of them lived in low- and middle-income countries. This accounts for 30% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. Photo: David Sacks/GettyImages According to study co-author Björn Larsen, this means that lead is more likely to cause heart disease than smoking or cholesterol. Researchers also estimated that in 2019, children under the age of five from around the world collectively lost 765 million IQ points due to lead poisoning. On average, about six points per child. 95% of these losses occurred in developing countries. It is noted that there is a ban on the use of leaded gasoline due to the toxicity of the metal. However, people are still exposed to it through food, dishes, soil, fertilizers, cosmetics, lead-acid car batteries and other sources. “Richard Fuller, president of the non-governmental organization Pure Earth, said that when developing countries were tested for lead in their blood, they mostly found higher levels than the new study predicted,” notes Science Alerts. At the same time, on September 12, Pure Earth published a study in which they analyzed 5,000 samples of consumer goods and food products in 25 developing countries. Its authors found high levels of lead contamination in metal pots, pans, ceramic dishes, paint, cosmetics and toys. “That’s why there are so many lead poisonings in poorer countries. They’re being poisoned by things in the kitchen,” commented Richard Fuller. We will remind you that we previously reported that the smoke of electronic cigarettes immobilizes immune cells. Author: Alyona Pavlyuk Read also: Lead was found in the blood of half of the young children in the USA. Research
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
