Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of hypertension and determine the dose-response relationship between cumulative occupational low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) exposure and blood pressure levels among medical radiologists in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5420 medical radiologists in Guangdong Province. Individual cumulative effective doses (CED) were reconstructed based on historical records (1980–2022). Blood pressure was assessed via standardized physical measurements rather than self-reporting. Hypertension was defined according to the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines (SBP ≥ 130 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 80 mmHg). Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to assess associations, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle confounders. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 53.4%. After adjusting for confounders, cumulative effective dose was positively associated with hypertension risk. Compared with the reference group (<1.00 mSv), the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension were 1.35 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.06–1.70 for 5.00–9.99 mSv and 1.73 (95% CI 1.27–2.37) for at least 10.00 mSv. Linear regression confirmed that CED was positively associated with both SBP and DBP levels. Stratified analysis revealed gender-specific susceptibility: a significant risk increase was observed at least 5.00 mSv for men, whereas the threshold was at least 10.00 mSv for women. Conclusion: Cumulative occupational LDIR exposure is an independent risk factor for hypertension and elevated blood pressure among medical radiologists, exhibiting a clear dose-response relationship. The findings suggest gender-specific thresholds for vascular damage and advocate for enhanced cardiovascular surveillance in this high-risk population using stricter diagnostic criteria.
Liu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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