EXPOSURE TO PCBS AND HYPERTENSION IN THE ANNISTON COMMUNITY HEALTH SURVEY

Environmental exposures that may contribute to the development of essential hypertension are not clearly understood. We have studied factors associated with the risk of hypertension in residents of Anniston, Alabama who live near a plant that manufactured polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) between 1929 and 1971. A total of 759 Anniston residents had multiple measurements of blood pressure and information on demographic factors, medications, smoking, and exercise collected in 2005-2007. They also provided blood samples for the analysis of 35 PCBs and total serum lipids. Rates of hypertension increased significantly (p<0.05) with age, concentrations of serum PCBs and body mass index (BMI) and were higher in African-Americans than in Caucasians. Hypertension was not associated with total serum lipid levels, gender, smoking or frequency of exercise. Odds ratios (ORs) for elevated diastolic blood pressure in relation to total serum PCBs were above four in those not on anti-hypertensive medication (OR=4.49, 95% CI 1.34-14.99) after adjustment for established risk factors for hypertension and were elevated, but to a lesser degree for systolic hypertension (OR=3.87, 95% CI 1.13-13.17).