Excerpt:
Analysis of the data produced the following conclusions:
1. As was expected, dental fluorosis was significantly greater in Bartlett than in Cameron (all of the participants born and in continuous residence in Bartlett during the tooth formative period exhibited positive evidence of dental fluorosis).
2. The incidence of cardiovascular disease was higher in Cameron, an observation unrelated to fluoride ingestion.
3. There were no significant differences between the age-adjusted death rates in the two towns.
4. The two groups showed no significant differences in the ten year period with respect to changes in blood pressure, arthritic conditions, eyes, thyroid disorders, hearing, tumors, cysts, bones and bone fractures, and the urinary system (Table 1).
5. The only difference in laboratory findings was in the white blood cell count, which tended to be higher in Bartlett in 1953. White blood cells counts are normally subject to considerable variation and, when viewed in the light of clinical experience, this finding does not suggest an association with fluoride intake (Table 2).
When the data are reviewed critically, it is clear that the medical characteristics of the two groups, with the exception of dental fluorosis, do not differ more than would be expected of two comparable towns with or without an excess of fluoride in the water supply.
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