Survey of adult carotid atherosclerosis in drinking-water type of endemic high arsenic area in Shanxi province in 2009 / 中国地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the relationship between drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis and adult carotid artery atherosclerosis. Methods In 2009, 285 participants aged over 40 from drinking-water type of endemic arsenism areas and 293 residents aged over 40 from control areas were investigated in Yingxian county,Shanxi province. Portable-type B mode color ultrasound was used to examine the carotid artery of all participants.The carotid atherosclerosis were diagnosed and graded through the ultrasonograms. Content of water arsenic and hair arsenic of 10 people randomly selected in every villages were detected. Results A total of 5 villages with drinkingwater type of endemic arsenicosis as observation group and 5 villages without drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis as control group were investigated. The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis within observation group were 35.09%(20/57), 55.74%(34/61), 38.46%(20/52), 36.51%(23/63) and 46.15%(24/52), respectively,and standardized prevalence rates were 32.5%, 33.8%, 34.9%, 46.2% and 47.3%, respectively and the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis within control group were 18.18%(10/55), 30.77%(16/52), 20.00%(10/50),18.67% (14/75) and 21.31% ( 13/61 ), respectively; the standardize prevalence rates were 22.4%, 17.7%, 10.7%,24.6%, 18.9%, respectively. The standardize prevalence rates were higher in observation group [39.50%(113/285) ]than that in control group[39.50%(113/285), T = 26, P ＜ 0.01 ]. The severity of adult carotid atherosclerosis (composition of 4 - 7 scores ) was compared between observation group [ 17.70%(20/113 )] and control group [ 14.06% (9/64) ], and the difference was insignificant(x2 = 0.26, P ＞ 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence rate of carotid atherosclerosis in drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis areas is higher than that of the control areas.The study provides evidence that arsenic poisoning can cause atherosclerosis.