mercury toxicity in hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke

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Role of mercury toxicity in hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and

stroke. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21806773>

Houston MC.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Aug;13(8):621-7. doi:

10.1111/j.1751-7176.2011.00489.x. Epub 2011 Jul 11.

Mercury has a high affinity for sulfhydryl groups, inactivating numerous

enzymatic reactions, amino acids, and sulfur-containing antioxidants

(N-acetyl-L-cysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, L-glutathione), with subsequent

decreased oxidant defense and increased oxidative stress. Mercury binds

to metallothionein and substitute for zinc, copper, and other trace

metals, reducing the effectiveness of metalloenzymes. Mercury induces

mitochondrial dysfunction with reduction in adenosine triphosphate,

depletion of glutathione, and increased lipid peroxidation. Increased

oxidative stress and reduced oxidative defense are common. Selenium and

fish containing omega-3 fatty acids antagonize mercury toxicity. The

overall vascular effects of mercury include increased oxidative stress

and inflammation, reduced oxidative defense, thrombosis, vascular smooth

muscle dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia, and immune

and mitochondrial dysfunction. The clinical consequences of mercury

toxicity include hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial

infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, reduced heart rate variability,

increased carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery obstruction,

cerebrovascular accident, generalized atherosclerosis, and renal

dysfunction, insufficiency, and proteinuria. Pathological, biochemical,

and functional medicine correlations are significant and logical.

Mercury diminishes the protective effect of fish and omega-3 fatty

acids. Mercury inactivates catecholaminei-0-methyl transferase, which

increases serum and urinary epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

This effect will increase blood pressure and may be a clinical clue to

mercury-induced heavy metal toxicity. Mercury toxicity should be

evaluated in any patient with hypertension, coronary heart disease,

cerebral vascular disease, cerebrovascular accident, or other vascular

disease. Specific testing for acute and chronic toxicity and total body

burden using hair, toenail, urine, and serum should be performed.