Exposure to fluoride compounds as a risk factor for myocardial dysfunction

Introduction. The combination of the toxic effects of fluoride compounds with known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases can lead to the early development of diastolic ventricular dysfunction, thereby increasing the risk of complications.

Materials and methods. One hundred eighteen workers in the main occupations of the aluminum industry and 62 patients not exposed to fluoride compounds, aged between 40 and 55 years, were examined. All respondents underwent biochemical blood tests and echocardiography using standard methods.

Results. In aluminum production workers, regardless of the presence of concomitant chronic occupational intoxication with fluoride compounds, signs of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were detected more often (67.8% of the cases) than in the control (29.0%, p<0.0001). Diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle was more often diagnosed in persons with certain signs of fluoride exposure, suffering from arterial hypertension; diastolic dysfunction of the right ventricle was more common in patients with chronic occupational intoxication with fluoride compounds. In the control group, the prevalence of diastolic ventricular dysfunction did not depend on the presence of arterial hypertension and was significantly lower than in the aluminum workers. A relationship was found between dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and left ventricular diastolic parameters. No reliable association was revealed between pulmonary pathology and the development of right ventricular dysfunction. A reliable relationship was found between left ventricular dysfunction parameters and arterial blood pressure levels, as well as work experience under the conditions of exposure to fluoride compounds with ventricular dysfunction parameters.

Limitations. This study was limited to a sample size of workers of the main occupations in the aluminum industry who were examined at the Clinic of the Research Institute for Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases.

Conclusion. Diastolic ventricular dysfunction was detected in more than half of the aluminum industry workers, regardless of the presence of chronic occupational intoxication with fluoride compounds, which, in addition to the influence of arterial hypertension, increase in the level of low-density cholesterol, atherogenicity coefficient, and atherosclerosis, was also affected by the work duration in the conditions of exposure to fluoride compounds.

Compliance with ethical standards. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association (ed. 2013). the protocol of which met the requirements of the Bioethics Committee of the Research Institute for Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases (Protocol of the Meeting No. 4, § 2 dated November 18, 2021). All participants gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.

Contribution:
Korotenko O.Yu. – concept and design of the study, collection of material, writing the text, editing;
Krasilnikova P.L. – collection of material, writing the text.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 26, 2026 / Revised: June 21, 2026/ Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: August 14, 2026

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