In a new study, researchers found that arsenic in drinking water could lead to thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber.
This change in heart structure may increase the risk of future heart disease.
The research was conducted by a team from the Hospital Hietzing/Heart Center Clinic Floridsdorf in Vienna, Austria.
Previous research has shown that people are most likely exposed to arsenic, a toxic metalloid, through drinking water in areas where groundwater is contaminated.
The areas include many American Indian tribal communities and other rural and suburban communities in the U.S.
Scientists have found that arsenic exposure could raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
In the study, the team examined data from more than 1,300 adults in Oklahoma, Arizona and North and South Dakota.
Arsenic exposure was measured in urine samples and the size, shape, and function of their hearts were tested using ultrasound.
None of the people had diabetes or heart disease at the start of the five-year study.
The team found that a two-fold increase in arsenic in the urine was linked to a 47% higher risk of thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle).
It was also linked to a 58% higher risk of thickening of the left ventricle in people with high blood pressure.
The findings suggest that people with pre-existing heart disease might be more prone to the toxic effects of arsenic on the heart.
The researchers suggest that the results are likely to be generalizable to millions of people in other rural locations exposed to low or moderate levels of arsenic in their water.
The team suggests that people need to be aware that arsenic may increase their risk of heart disease.
In addition, local governments need to test those wells to prevent exposure.
This is the first study to examine exposure to arsenic in drinking water in the north, central and southwestern U.S.
The lead author of the study is Gernot Pichler, a medical specialist at Hospital Hietzing/Heart Center Clinic Floridsdorf in Vienna, Austria.
The study is published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
