Zachariah JP, et al. - Researchers evaluated the relationship between lead exposure and temporal trends in blood pressure (BP) over the period of rising obesity. As obesity prevalence increased, age-sex adjusted systolic BP was flat, diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure declined, and pulse pressure increased. Accounting for blood lead concentration reduced the declining mean arterial pressure trend by 67%. Findings suggested that decreasing lead exposure acting on small resistance arteries may be substantially attributable the contrary trends in pediatric BP during the rise of pediatric obesity. They noted the probability of environmental policy altering lead levels to have long-lasting cardiovascular benefits.