The Effect of Chelation on Blood Pressure in Lead-Exposed Children: A Randomized Study

Studies in children suggest a weak association between blood lead concentration and blood pressure. To understand this better, we tested the strength of the association in children with elevated blood lead concentrations and whether succimer chelation changed blood pressure as it did blood lead. In a randomized clinical trial of 780 children with blood lead concentrations of 20–44 μg/dL at 12–33 months of age, we compared the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the succimer-treated group and placebo group for up to 5 years of follow-up. We also analyzed the relation of blood lead to blood pressure. Children in the succimer group had lower blood lead concentrations for 9–10 months during and after treatment, but their blood pressure did not differ from those in the placebo group during this period. During 1–5 years of follow-up, children in the succimer group had systolic blood pressure 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.27–1.90) mmHg higher than did untreated children in a model with repeated measurements, but the difference in diastolic blood pressure was not statistically significant. No association between blood lead and blood pressure was found. Overall, there is no association between blood lead and blood pressure in these children with moderately high lead exposure, nor does chelation with succimer change blood pressure.