Lead toxicity causes paralysis and pain in the extremities due to effects on demyelinization, axonal degeneration, and presynaptic block.
Lead toxicity commonly affects sensory, visual, auditory, and cerebellar (coordination) functions, reflecting its impact on the nervous system. Normocytic, sideroblastic anemia is the consequence of lead’s inhibiting effects on enzymes in the heme biosynthesis pathway.
Other clinical signs associated with lead toxicity are kidney damage, epigastric pain and nausea, and male and female reproductive failure. Hyperactivity, anorexia, decreased play activity, low intelligence quotient and poor school performance have been observed in children with high lead levels.
Sources of lead include lead pipes, painted toys, some red lipsticks, lead paint or its dust, soil around old cars, old homes, or highways (past leaded gasoline contamination).
Hair lead is a sensitive measure of lead exposure. For those in apparent steady-state lead balance, hair levels were well correlated with blood lead. Normally, hair lead content is < 5 μg/g. Lead levels > 25 μg/g indicate severe lead exposure. Some hair darkening products contain lead acetate and may elevate lead levels in hair.
Whole blood is concentrated about 75-fold greater than that of serum or plasma and it has the highest correlation with toxicity. For this reason, whole blood lead is defined by the CDC as the preferred test for detecting lead exposure. The World Health Organization has defined high whole-blood lead levels as > 20 μg/dL in adults and > 10 μg/dL in children. As of 2007, the CDC acceptable level of whole blood lead was 10 μg/dL. Some have proposed to lower reference values for whole blood lead.
Urinary lead concentrations increase with lead poisoning, although urinary elimination of lead is a process that occurs for many days after a single exposure.
References:
– Lead Fact Sheet, Center for Disease Control and Prevention [L]
– Biomonitoring Summary, Center for Disease Control and Prevention [L]
– Chelation Medical Center, Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis [L]
Lab Results Explained and Tracked
What does it mean if your Lead (Genova) result is too high?
Sources:
– Certain supplements
– paint
– contaminated soils (and plants grown in them)
– plumbing
Specific Examples:
Some red lipsticks and painted toys, Leaded house paint, Drinking water from lead plumbing, Vegetables grown in Lead-contaminated soil, Canned fruit and juices, canned evaporated milk, boxed wines, Certain Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal preparations, Milk from animals grazing on Lead-contaminated land, Bone meal, Organ meats such as liver, Lead-arsenate pesticides, Leaded caps on wine bottles, Rainwater and snow, Improperly glazed pottery, Painted glassware, Painted pencils, Toothpaste, Newsprint, Colored printed materials, Curtain weights, Car batteries, Cigarette ash, tobacco, Lead shot, firing ranges.
Associated Symptoms and Diseases:
– Microcytic hypochromic anemia
– renal dysfunction
– hypertension
– anorexia
– muscle discomfort
– constipation
– metallic taste
– low IQ (children)
Prevention:
Prevention continues to be the best route for reducing toxic effects of lead. Nutritional and adjunctive support includes promoting gastrointestinal integrity and supplementing with calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins C and D. Carotenoids have also been found to be lower in leadexposed workers. Nutrients with demonstrated benefit when used with or without chelating agents include alpha lipoic acid, zinc, taurine, selenium—which is able to bind lead directly— and N-acetylcysteine.
Protective Measures:
– Alpha lipoic acid
– protection against toxicity
– iron (reduces intestinal absorption)
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
Article Review & Sources
All our content is backed by peer-reviewed studies, academic research, and trusted medical sources. We're committed to accuracy and transparency — see our editorial policy for details.
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.