The incidence of
arsenic toxicity has been observed in various countries including Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Hungary, Peru, Thailand, Mexico and United States of America.
Arsenic is a ubiquitous
element present in
drinking water, and its exposure is associated with various cardiovascular disorders.
Arsenic exposure plays a key role in the pathogenesis of vascular endothelial dysfunction as it inactivates
endothelial nitric oxide synthase, leading to reduction in the generation and bioavailability of
nitric oxide. In addition, the chronic
arsenic exposure induces high oxidative stress, which may affect the structure and function of cardiovascular system. Further, the
arsenic exposure has been noted to induce
atherosclerosis by increasing the platelet aggregation and reducing fibrinolysis. Moreover,
arsenic exposure may cause
arrhythmia by increasing the QT interval and accelerating the cellular
calcium overload. The chronic exposure to
arsenic upregulates the expression of
tumor necrosis factor-alpha,
interleukin-1,
vascular cell adhesion molecule and
vascular endothelial growth factor to induce cardiovascular pathogenesis. The present review critically discussed the detrimental role of
arsenic in the cardiovascular system.