The Relationship of Blood Cadmium Level to Hypertension and Plasma Norepinephrine Level: A Romanian Study (41159)

The associations of blood cadmium levels with hypertension and plasma norepinephrine concentrations were determined in normotensive and hypertensive nonsmokers and smokers. Statistical analysis showed that after adjustment for age alone, the estimated mean values of blood cadmium and plasma norepinephrine in nonsmokers were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than in smokers. However, after adjustment for age and blood cadmium, the estimated mean values for plasma norepinephrine were not significantly different between nonsmokers and smokers or normotensives and hypertensives. In contrast the estimated mean value for blood cadmium as a function of blood pressure (i.e., normotensive versus hypertensive) and smoking habit was still significant after adjustment for age and plasma norepinephrine (P < 0.01). We suggest that smoking and blood pressure affect the level of blood cadmium, and through this change in blood cadmium the level of plasma norepinephrine is affected.