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  • 1
    Publication Date: 2016-03-17
    Description: Background To date, the association of the neurotoxic agent cadmium (Cd) with depression in elderly people has been poorly evaluated. By investigating the relationship between blood cadmium levels and scores on a depression screening test, we aimed to investigate the impact of cadmium exposure on elderly depression. Methods From 2008 to 2010, a total of 395 elderly participants residing in Seoul, Korea, were evaluated 3 times. Demographic data and lifestyle information were obtained via a systemised questionnaire, and blood samples were collected for analysis. Participants underwent the Korean Version of the Short Form Generic Depression Scale test (SGDS-K) for screening depression and associations were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results Blood cadmium levels were associated with depressive symptoms in the first visit data analysis. By analysing the first visit data, the highest quartile blood cadmium group (Q4) showed increased risk for depressive symptoms compared to the lowest quartile group (Q1) (OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.22 to 10.00). However, the data of the second and third visits suggested that blood cadmium may be protective against depressive symptoms (second visit data, Q4 vs Q1, OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.19 to 3.14; third visit data, Q4 vs Q1, OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.04 to 8.77). Conclusions Owing to inconsistent results in analyses between blood cadmium levels and depressive symptoms, we cannot conclude any solid association between blood cadmium levels and depressive symptoms in the elderly population. To clarify the relationship, other prospective studies are needed in the future.
    Keywords: Metals, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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  • 2
    Publication Date: 2014-09-09
    Description: Objectives To examine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and PGE2 levels in urine from the copper smelting workers exposed to arsenic and analyse the relationships between urinary VEGF or PGE2 level and arsenical metabolites. Methods The study was conducted in a group of 106 copper-smelting male workers. Information about each subject was obtained by questionnaire, inorganic As (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), VEGF and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in urine were determined. Standing height, body weight, and blood pressure were measured. Results According to the urine arsenic levels, participants were separated into three groups: Group 1: urine total arsenic 〈35 mg/L, Group 2: 35–100 mg/L, and Group 3: 〉100 mg/L. The median levels of urinary VEGF and PGE2 in Groups 1, 2 and 3 were 10.57 and 1032.0 pg/mL, 24.39 and 1060.9 pg/mL, and 49.0 and 1330.4 pg/mL, respectively. Urinary VEGF levels were positive associated with arsenical metabolites (iAs, MMA, DMA and TAs). Additionally, urinary VEGF and PGE2 levels were all correlated positively with the urinary MMA% (r=0.221, p=0.026 and r=0.206, p=0.037). While urinary VEGF was negatively with DMA% and secondary methylation index (r=–0.242, p=0.014 and r=–0.214, p=0.030, respectively). Conclusions Urinary VEGF and PGE2 levels increased in arsenic exposure copper smelting workers, and urinary VEGF levels are well associated with the urinary arsenicals. This finding may provide useful information for developing measurement, prevention and treatment of damage induced by arsenic in the future.
    Keywords: Metals, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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  • 3
    Publication Date: 2014-02-07
    Description: Objectives An ‘information gap’ has been identified regarding the effects of chronic disease on occupational injury risk. We investigated the association of ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, depression and asthma with acute occupational injury in a cohort of manufacturing workers from 1 January 1997 through 31 December 2007. Methods We used administrative data on real-time injury, medical claims, workplace characteristics and demographics to examine this association. We employed a piecewise exponential model within an Andersen–Gill framework with a frailty term at the employee level to account for inclusion of multiple injuries for each employee, random effects at the employee level due to correlation among jobs held by an employee, and experience on the job as a covariate. Results One-third of employees had at least one of the diseases during the study period. After adjusting for potential confounders, presence of these diseases was associated with increased hazard of injury: heart disease (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.36), diabetes (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.27), depression (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.38) and asthma (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.287). Hypertension was not significantly associated with hazard of injury. Associations of chronic disease with injury risk were less evident for more serious reportable injuries; only depression and a summary health metric derived from claims remained significantly positive in this subset. Conclusions Our results suggest that chronic heart disease, diabetes and depression confer an increased risk for acute occupational injury.
    Keywords: Open access, Editor's choice
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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  • 4
    Publication Date: 2013-07-11
    Description: Objectives To quantify the variation in rates of absence due to musculoskeletal pain across 47 occupational groups (mostly nurses and office workers) from 18 countries, and to explore personal and group-level risk factors that might explain observed differences. Methods A standardised questionnaire was used to obtain information about musculoskeletal pain, sickness absence and possible risk factors in a cross-sectional survey of 12 416 workers (92–1017 per occupational group). Additionally, group-level data on socioeconomic variables, such as sick pay and unemployment rates, were assembled by members of the study team in each country. Associations of sickness absence with risk factors were examined by Poisson regression. Results Overall, there were more than 30-fold differences between occupational groups in the 12-month prevalence of prolonged musculoskeletal sickness absence, and even among office workers carrying out similar occupational tasks, the variation was more than tenfold. Personal risk factors included older age, lower educational level, tendency to somatise, physical loading at work and prolonged absence for non-musculoskeletal illness. However, these explained little of the variation between occupational groups. After adjustment for individual characteristics, prolonged musculoskeletal sickness absence was more frequent in groups with greater time pressure at work, lower job control and more adverse beliefs about the work-relatedness of musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusions Musculoskeletal sickness absence might be reduced by eliminating excessive time pressures in work, maximising employees’ responsibility and control and providing flexibility of duties for those with disabling symptoms. Care should be taken not to overstate work as a cause of musculoskeletal injury.
    Keywords: Open access, Editor's choice
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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  • 5
    Publication Date: 2013-03-14
    Description: Background There is inconsistency regarding the effects of cadmium exposure on liver function between the positive results found in animal studies and the negative results highlighted in epidemiological studies. We investigated whether environmental cadmium exposure is associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme activity in Korean adults. Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated adult participants without liver disease from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2008–2009. Multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate the association between blood cadmium concentration and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and the amount of alcohol consumption. Subjects were stratified into quartiles by their cumulative cadmium exposure rank. We estimated the multivariate-adjusted ORs for liver enzyme elevation using logistic regression models with the first quartile as the reference group. Results Total number of the subjects in the analysis was 3914. The blood cadmium concentrations were significantly associated with liver enzyme levels (AST, β=2.677, p value 〈0.0001; ALT, β=3.696, p value 〈0.0001; ALP, β=11.730, p value 〈0.0001). As the cadmium levels approached higher quartiles, the ORs for an elevated AST, ALT and ALP was increased significantly. Conclusions Environmental cadmium exposures are associated with an elevation in serum liver enzyme levels in Korean adults.
    Keywords: Metals, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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  • 6
    Publication Date: 2012-12-18
    Description: Objectives Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has a range of adverse health effects, but its association with dementia remains unclear and with dementia syndromes unknown. We examined the dose–response relationship between ETS exposure and dementia syndromes. Methods Using a standard method of GMS, we interviewed 5921 people aged ≥60 years in five provinces in China in 2007–2009 and characterised their ETS exposure. Five levels of dementia syndrome were diagnosed using the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy instrument. The relative risk (RR) of moderate (levels 1–2) and severe (levels 3–5) dementia syndromes among participants exposed to ETS was calculated in multivariate adjusted regression models. Results 626 participants (10.6%) had severe dementia syndromes and 869 (14.7%) moderate syndromes. Participants exposed to ETS had a significantly increased risk of severe syndromes (adjusted RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.59). This was dose-dependently related to exposure level and duration. The cumulative exposure dose data showed an adjusted RR of 0.99 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.28) for 〉0–24 level years of exposure, 1.15 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.42) for 25–49 level years, 1.18 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.59) for 59–74 level years, 1.39 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.84) for 75–99 level years and 1.95 (95% CI 1.34 to 2.83) for ≥100 level years. Significant associations with severe syndromes were found in never smokers and in former/current smokers. There were no positive associations between ETS and moderate dementia syndromes. Conclusions ETS should be considered an important risk factor for severe dementia syndromes. Avoidance of ETS may reduce the rates of severe dementia syndromes worldwide.
    Keywords: Open access, Editor's choice
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
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