Lead-Attributable Cardiovascular Disease Burden

What is the association between cumulative lead exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and what is the resulting CVD burden attributable to lead by location, year, age, and sex?A longitudinal analysis of 42 028 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants and meta-analysis found higher bone lead levels associated with significantly increased CVD mortality risk. Globally in 2023, 3.5 million deaths and 71.5 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were attributable to lead exposure, accounting for 5.8% of all deaths and 2.6% of all DALYs.Cumulative lead exposure remains a major, preventable contributor to global CVD mortality.

Corresponding Author: Jeffrey D. Stanaway, MPH, PhD, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (stanaway@uw.edu).

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