Lead-Attributable Cardiovascular Disease Burden: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
Authors' conclusion
Cumulative lead exposure remains a major, preventable contributor to global CVD mortality.
Study context
- Population
- US adults (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)); global, regional and national populations 1990–20231,748 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths
- Participants
- 42,028 adults
- Comparison
- Estimated bone lead levels vs preindustrial level
- Outcome
- Lead-attributable CVD mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost and DALYs by age, sex, year and location
Methodological detailsUS NHANES, 9 cycles 1988–2013, follow-up through December 2015, Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for BP and confounders, Bone lead estimated from blood lead, age and cohort-specific exposure histories
- US NHANES, 9 cycles 1988–2013
- Follow-up through December 2015
- Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for BP and confounders
- Bone lead estimated from blood lead, age and cohort-specific exposure histories
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Greater CVD mortality risk vs preindustrial bone lead
- Lead-attributable deaths globally, 2023
- 3.5 million (95% UI, 2.6 million to 4.4 million)
- Lead-attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) globally, 2023
- 71.6 million (95% UI, 52.4 million to 90.3 million)
- Share of all deaths
- 5.8% (95% UI, 4.3%-7.2%)
- Share of all DALYs
- 2.6% (95% UI, 1.8%-3.2%)
Further pooled results
NHANES estimated bone lead levels
- Range
- 0.17 μg/g to 301 μg/g
- Median
- 13.3 μg/g
Original publication
Lead-Attributable Cardiovascular Disease Burden: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. JAMA. Published 28 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →