How Heavy Metals Can Cause Cardiovascular Harm

There are a variety of risk factors for heart disease, from family history to lifestyle. Here are three ways that heavy metals can damage the heart and contribute to cardiovascular disease.

1. Heavy Metals Contribute to Oxidative Stress

Cardiovascular disease often begins with atherosclerosis—the narrowing of arteries from the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol). In other words, one the primary causes of CVD is oxidative stress

One of the main ways in which heavy metals damage your body is through oxidative stress . By increasing oxidative stress, heavy metals can promote atherosclerosis, which leads to CVD

Studies have also found that heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead compromise your body’s ability to defend itself from oxidative stress. Heavy metals bind to and cripple glutathione—an antioxidant that serves as a powerful defense against oxidative stress . This leaves you much more vulnerable to the harmful cardiovascular effects of heavy metals.

2. Heavy Metals Trigger Inflammation

Arsenic, cadmium, and lead exposure can also cause chronic inflammation which plays a pivotal role in oxidative stress and CVD 

In fact, according to Harvard Medical School, inflammation is a primary risk factor of CVD because it promotes atherosclerosis 

Many experts now believe that systemic inflammation is one of the biggest underlying causes of heart disease (more so than elevated cholesterol), and is a major risk factor for many diseases 

3. Heavy Metals Can Cause High Blood Pressure

Since the oxidative stress caused by heavy metals leads to fatty plaque deposits in the arteries, it can also significantly raise your blood pressure (15). High blood pressure, as you may know, can markedly increase your risk of developing heart disease or a heart attack

Exposure to lead is a well-known culprit of raising blood pressure. Effects are seen with blood lead levels as low as 0.10 umol/L. And because lead is stored in bone, it is gradually released back in the body. This means that even childhood exposure to lead can have lasting effects

Additionally, other studies have found that arsenic, antimony and tungsten exposure are associated with high blood pressure and CVD 

Common Sources of Heavy Metal Exposure

Since there are so many different ways in which heavy metals can promote heart disease, it makes them a huge concern; especially since it only takes small doses to experience the negative effects. Here are some of the most common ways you can be exposed to heart-damaging heavy metals:

• Antimony: furniture, ceramics, gun powder, food, drinking water, and certain prescription drugs.
• Arsenic: soil, crops, fertilizer, tobacco, drinking water, rice, cereals, and dairy products.
• Cadmium: batteries, metal jewelry, chocolate, grains, second-hand cigarette smoke, fertilizer, and plastics.
• Lead: old house paint, gun powder, batteries, drinking water, lipstick, lead-glazed ceramics, dust, imported canned foods.
• Mercury: seafood, corn syrup, rice, beauty products, old dental fillings, and broken fluorescent light bulbs.
• Tungsten: air pollution, drinking water, food, and industrial pollution.

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