Could Hypertension in Radiographers Associated with Low Ionizing Radiation Exposure? An Evidence-Based Case Report

Low-dose ionizing radiation exposure (<0.5 Gy) may give rise to circulation disorders. Nevertheless, it is not yet known whether low-dose ionizing radiation exposure can cause hypertension. A 27-year-old male patient, who is a radiographer, consulted regarding the result of his periodic check-up with the result of hypertension. He also said that his electrocardiogram (ECG) examination in the previous year's periodic check-up suggested a poor result, but he couldn't remember what the cardiologist told him. Could hypertension in radiographers be associated with ionizing radiation exposure at work? The literature was searched via PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane. One relevant article was found that met the inclusion criteria. A cohort study by Preetha R, et al (2015) showed no relationship between the risk of hypertension with FGIP exposure. The selected article is quite valid but not in importance. Therefore, it did not apply to the case patient. Since research about this matter is still rare, there was only one suitable article found, so the causal relationship still cannot be proven. Further research is recommended using better exposure and outcome measures.