Ponce School of Medicine and ATSDR Releases The Summary Report for the Vieques Heart Study Expert Panel Review

Vieques County, Vieques, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

What: The Ponce School of Medicine and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, today jointly are releasing the Summary Report for the Vieques Heart Study Expert Panel Review.

In January 2001, the government of Puerto Rico notified federal authorities about the results of a pilot study indicating possible abnormalities of heart valves and thickening of the pericardium (lining surrounding the heart) among some Vieques residents. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services asked ATSDR to investigate the issues raised by the study. Concurrent with this request, the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM), led by President and Dean Dr. Manuel Martinez Maldonado, launched a more definitive study of possible heart abnormalities among Vieques fishermen.

In March 2001, ATSDR and PSM representatives agreed to jointly select a panel of independent experts to review and interpret the new study's findings and to independently re-read the study's echocardiograms. Eight accomplished physician-scientists were chosen as reviewers. The panelists were from research institutes and universities. Four were from the United States, two were from Mexico and two were from Spain. Half the panel members were experts in cardiology and echocardiography; the others were epidemiologists.

Because of its reputation and extensive experience, the echocardiography laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was chosen to review the study's echocardiograms.

In July 2001, the panel met in San Juan. Co-chairs of the meeting were Dr. Martinez Maldonado and Dr. David Fleming, ATSDR Deputy Administrator. The purpose of the meeting was to review the methods, results and public health significance of PSM's Vieques Heart Study, considering the echocardiography readings of both PSM and the Mayo Clinic.

Panel Findings: The panel found that the well-executed PSM study showed no indication of abnormal heart function attributable to pericardial thickening. Other observations included:

• By PSM's measurements, the average pericardial thickness was slightly greater among Vieques fishermen than among Ponce Playa fishermen (1.20 mm vs. 1.05 mm), and this difference was statistically significant.

• The values measured by the Mayo Clinic were within the same range as those measured by PSM, but they did not show a statistically significant difference between the Ponce and Vieques fishermen.

• The panel experts also concluded that the measurements of pericardial thickness made both by PSM and Mayo were similar and were all within the normal range. The small differences between Ponce and Mayo findings were attributed to the limited precision of the trans-thoracic echocardiography measurement technique. Although a small average difference between the Vieques fishermen and control groups could not be ruled out with certainty, the panel experts observed that no subject showed any indication of abnormal heart function attributable to pericardial thickening.

• Reviewers noted that since the study focused specifically on the heart, it could not rule out other potential health outcomes associated with living in Vieques, including other potential effects of noise and vibration. Also, a study of commercial fishermen, a single occupational group, may not be representative of the entire population.

When: The Summary Report for the Vieques Heart Study Expert Panel Review is publicly available on Oct. 23, 2001.

Where: Copies of the report may be reviewed at the following repositories:

For more information: For a copy of the report, call toll free, 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Vieques Heart Study." Or, see the ATSDR web site: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov.

Top of Page

---

Related News Releases For Vieques County, Vieques, Puerto Rico

 

ATSDR Releases Final Report on Vieques
Release Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Following a thorough review of environmental, biological, and health data from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its final report today.

La ATSDR publica informe final sobre Vieques
Release Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Basado en una revisión minuciosa de los datos ambientales, biológicos y de salud de la isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) publicó hoy su informe final.

Federal Agency to Change its Early Conclusions on Environmental Assessment in Vieques
Release Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has signaled its intent to modify some of its earlier conclusions about health risks to residents of the Island of Vieques. The decision was shared during a meeting with scientists from Puerto Rico and followed a thorough review of ATSDR public health assessments finalized in 2003 and other environmental studies of the island conducted in the intervening years. ATSDR's re-examination of the data comes as part of a "fresh look" the federal public health agency pledged to island residents and Congress.

Agencia Federal Cambiará sus Primeras Conclusiones en la Evaluación Ambiental de Vieques
Release Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
ATLANTA-La Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) ha señalado su intento de modificar algunas de sus primeras conclusiones sobre los riesgos de salud de los residentes de la Isla Vieques. La decisión fue compartida durante una reunión con científicos de Puerto Rico después de una revisión comprensiva de las evaluaciones de salud pública que la ATSDR finalizó en el 2003 y otros estudios ambientales de la isla elaborados en los años siguientes. La reexaminación de los datos forma parte de la “mirada fresca” que la agencia de salud pública prometió a los residentes de la isla y al Congreso.

ATSDR Releases Final Health Assessment on Air Pathway for the Isla de Vieques Bombing Range Site, Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Release Date: Monday, September 15, 2003
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today released a final public health assessment (PHA) that investigated the air pathway for possible contaminants from the U.S. Navy's bombing range site on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The PHA finds that exposure to air contaminants potentially released from Navy property on Vieques poses no apparent health hazard.

ATSDR Releases Public Comment Version of Focused Public Health Assessment on Fish and Shellfish for Vieques Bombing Range Site, Vieques, Puerto Rico
Release Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2002
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is releasing today for public comment a focused public health assessment (PHA) on fish and shellfish in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

ATSDR Announces The Availability Of The Draft Version Of Its Focused Public Health Assessment, Soil Pathway Evaluation, for Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico
Release Date: Friday, October 26, 2001
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced today the availability of the draft version of its Focused Public Health Assessment, Soil Pathway Evaluation, for Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Top of Page