Cadmium Exposure and Hypertension in the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Abstract

Cadmium levels in blood, but not in urine, were associated with a modest elevation in blood pressure levels. The association was stronger among never smokers, intermediate among former smokers, and small or null among current smokers. Our findings add to the concern of renal and cardiovascular cadmium toxicity at chronic low levels of exposure in the general population.