Exposure to Mercury in the Air and Its Effect on Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD): A Systematic Review

Abdolkazem Neisi; Fatemeh Koshki Nasab; Arefeh Sepahvand; Bita Falahi; Masoume Taherian; Ali Farhadi; Parisa Asban; Nastaran Tale Pour; Majid Farhadi; Abdollah Dargahi

doi:10.18502/ijph.v53i5.15583

Exposure to Mercury in the Air and Its Effect on Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD): A Systematic Review

Iran J Public Health. 2024 May;53(5):1033-1046. doi: 10.18502/ijph.v53i5.15583.

Authors

Abdolkazem Neisi^{1

2}, Fatemeh Koshki Nasab³, Arefeh Sepahvand⁴, Bita Falahi⁵, Masoume Taherian⁶, Ali Farhadi⁴, Parisa Asban⁶, Nastaran Tale Pour², Majid Farhadi³, Abdollah Dargahi^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
² Environmental Health Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
³ Environmental Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
⁴ Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
⁵ Department of Nursing, Aligoudarz School of Nursing, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health, Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences, Khalkhal, Iran.
⁸ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

Background: We aimed to verify the exposure to mercury in the air and its effect on cardiovascular disorders.

Methods: The review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and national databases (such as SID) from 1995-2022.

Results: Mercury exposure can cause many disorders in humans, including neurodevelopmental disorders in fetuses and children, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, hypertension, and diabetes. Mercury is a human neurotoxin, and in recent years its potentially harmful effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) have raised concerns, mainly due to mercury's role in reducing oxidative stress.

Conclusion: Possible mechanisms of mercury toxicity in CVD include mercury-selenium interaction, increased lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress. In this article, we review studies that have investigated the relationship between mercury and CVD.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Exposure; Mercury; Risk factors.

Publication types

Review