Although cardiovascular disease is not typically diagnosed until mid-life, risk factors for the disease including high blood pressure and stress can begin early in life.

We hope to learn more about how very low levels of lead in children’s blood can affect their cardiovascular health.

This information will increase our understanding of why some children are on a trajectory toward increased risk of cardiovascular disease in mid-life and more importantly, what can be done to reduce the risk.

“My son recently participated in a medical study and I would like to recommend the experience to other families. The worst part was, of course, having his blood drawn, but after that the rest was easy and interesting. Although it took several hours of our time I felt that it was a very educational experience. We learned about several medical procedures (and saw a video of his heart beating), observed firsthand how data is collected (2 days of saliva samples, for example), visited an exercise lab at SU, and had many discussions about why they might have asked certain questions or gathered certain data. The motivator for my son was that he got paid $100, but I think he actually got much more out of it than that. I would recommend the experience for other kids especially if you think they might be interested in science, medicine, or related fields. Note: although it is called the Syracuse Lead Study they are studying kids with any level of lead (even a very small amount), as we all carry some level of toxins in our body. “

– K