Increase in Lead Levels Linked to Worse School Academic Performance
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 -- A 1-unit increase in lead levels is associated with worse academic performance throughout school grades, according to a study published online May 28 in JAMA Network Open.
George L. Wehby, M.P.H., Ph.D., from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, examined the association of a 1-unit change in early childhood blood lead levels below 3.5 µg/dL versus ≥3.5 µg/dL with academic achievement in a cohort study that linked birth certificates of children born from 1989 to 2010 with their math and reading test scores for grades 2 through 11 and to their early childhood blood lead testing data.
Up to 305,256 children and 1,782,873 child-grade observations were included in the analytical sample. Wehby found that at a mean child age at lead testing of 1.9 years, 37.7 percent of children had lead values below 3.5 µg/dL. A 1-unit increase in lead levels below 3.5 µg/dL was associated with lower national percentile rank (NPR) scores in math and reading (by −0.47 and −0.38, respectively). For lead levels ≥3.5 µg/dL, a 1-unit increase was also associated with lower NPR scores in math and in reading (−0.52 and −0.56, respectively). Across grades 2 through 11, the declines in these scores were persistent.
"Reconsidering and potentially lowering current blood lead reference values for intervention may be needed to better address the associations of low-level lead exposures with cognitive and academic outcomes," Wehby writes.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
Urinary Metal Levels Tied to Increased Risk for Later Heart Failure
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- There are consistent associations between elevated urinary metal levels and increased heart failure risk over time across geographically diverse cohorts...
Higher Temperatures Tied to Increased Probability of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Higher temperatures across the globe are associated with an increased probability of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published...
Tons of Turkey Bacon Products Recalled Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 — Kraft Heinz Foods is recalling some 370,000 pounds of fully cooked turkey bacon products that may be contaminated with listeria, the U.S...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.