Table 5

Hazards Ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval of all cause mortality by blood lead concentrations

Cause of death

Deaths

Blood lead concentration (μg/dL) [μmol/L]

P_value

(< 8) [< 0.384 ]

(≥ 8) [≥ 0.384 ]

All cause death, n (Col %)

123

96 (21%)

27 (34%)

0.018*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

1.73 (1.12, 2.68)

0.014

Multivariate adjusted ^a

1.0

1.59 (1.02, 2.49)

0.041

Cardiovascular disease ^b, n(%)

54

41(9)

13 (16)

0.044*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

1.90 (1.00, 3.63)

0.054

Multivariate adjusted ^c

1.0

1.78 (0.92, 3.45)

0.089

Coronary heart disease ^d, n (%)

23

15 (4)

8 (11)

0.006*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

3.54 (1.48, 8.45)

0.004

Multivariate adjusted ^e

1.0

3.08 (1.23, 7.70)

0.016

Stroke ^f, n(%)

21

17 (4)

4 (5)

0.578*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

1.16 (0.34, 4.00)

0.816

Multivariate adjusted ^g

1.0

1.13 (0.34, 3.81)

0.840

Cancer ^h, n(%)

38

30 (7)

8 (10)

0.262*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

1.70 (0.77, 3.75)

0.185

Multivariate adjusted ⁱ

1.0

1.64 (0.73, 3.71)

0.231

All other deaths ^j, n(%)

31

25 (7)

6 (10)

0.289*

Age, clinic adjusted

1.0

1.51 (0.61, 3.72)

0.370

Multivariate adjusted ^k

1.0

1.22 (0.48, 3.10)

0.673

*Chi -square p-value only for percentage of deaths in two blood lead strata, the rest are hazards ratio p values.

^a,c,e,g,i,k The multivariate model included the following: age, clinic, BMI, education, smoking, alcohol intake, estrogen use, hypertension, walking for exercise, diabetes, and total hip BMD.

^b ICD9 Code: All deaths due to CVD, including all diseases of circulatory system except those involving veins and lymphatics: 425,429.2, 440–444,428,401–404,410–414,430–438, and 798.

^d ICD9 Code: deaths due to coronary heart disease: 410–414.

^f ICD9 Code: Deaths due to stroke: 430–438.

^h ICD9 Code: Deaths due to cancer: 140–239.

^j ICD9 Code: All other deaths: Non CVD and non cancer deaths

Khalil et al. Environmental Health 2009 8:15   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-15