Individuals with blood pressure readings that exceed 140/90 are considered hypertensive. Hypertension can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aortic aneurysms, and peripheral arterial disease. An association between increased fluoride in ground water and increased prevalence of hypertension has been observed, especially among adult males (Amini et al., 2011). A higher incidence of arterial hypertension was also noted among those occupationally exposed to fluoride (Tartatovskaya et al., 1995). Animal studies have also found this association (Bera et al., 2007; Walland, 1977). However, a study of children found that those with dental fluorosis (indicating chronic fluoride overexposure) had lower diastolic blood pressure than those without dental fluorosis (Karademir et al., 2011). Takamori (1962) and Leone et al. (1956) similarly observed hypotension in animals exposed to toxic levels of fluoride. This discrepancy might be attributed to the level of fluoride exposure or to the developmental stage of the subjects.

Excerpts from the Scientific Literature:

“In conclusion, it can be declared that with the increase of [fluoride] levels in the [ground water resources], the hypertension prevalence and the mean [systolic blood pressure] statistically increase, especially in males. So, it seems that these relations may be gender specific.”
SOURCE: Amini H, et al. (2011). Drinking water fluoride and blood pressure: an environmental study. Biol Trace Elem Res 144:157-63.

“perinatal fluoride exposure, at the highest doses used in this study, may significantly increase systemic blood pressure in male Wistar rats. Thus, perinatal exposure to NaF leads to a dose-dependent, long-lasting and gender specific functional impairment in hemodynamic control.”
SOURCE: Bera I, et al. (2007). Neurofunctional effects of developmental sodium fluoride exposure in rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 11:211-24.

“In our study, diastolic blood pressure was low in severe fluorosis.”
SOURCE: Karademir S, et al. (2011). Effects of fluorosis on QT dispersion, heart rate variability and echocardiographic parameters in children. Anadolu Kardiyol Derg 11:150-5.

“Beyond this point [15 mg F/kg] there was a moderate decrease in pulse pressure. From 20 to 30 mg./kg. there was a moderate fall in systolic and diastolic pressure, after which a rapid, progressive fall of blood pressure occurred.”
SOURCE: Leone NC, et al. (1956). Acute and subacute toxicity studies of sodium fluoride in animals. Public Health Reports 71(5):459-67.

“A functional study of the blood circulation system in vibration disease patients in fluorite mines revealed changes in the cerebral hemodynamics with more pronounced angiotenic reactions…From the ECG data we found a higher incidence of dystrophic changes in the myocardium, arterial hypertension and disturbance of the regulation of the cardiovascular system…”
SOURCE: Tartatovskaya LY, et al. (1995). Clinico-hygiene assessment of the combined effect on the body of vibration and fluorine. Noise and Vibration Bulletin (from: Meditsina Truda i Promyshlennaya Ekologiya 10:8-10).

“Diastolic dysfunction is a condition with increased resistance to filling of the left ventricle, leading to an inappropriate rise int he diastolic pressure-volume relationship and causing symptoms of pulmonary congestion during exercise. Since diastolic dysfunction precedes systolic dysfunction, fluorosis patients having diastolic dysfunction might have an increased risk of heart failure.”
SOURCE: Varol E, et al. (2010). Impact of chronic fluorosis on left ventricular diastolic and global functions. Sci Tot Environ 408:2295-8.

“In the present experiments [sodium fluoride] proved to be a very potent central activator of blood pressure and heart rate.”
SOURCE: Walland A. (1977). Further evidence for the involvement of cAMP in central blood pressure regulation. Arch Pharmacol 296:177-81.

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