Occupational exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a prospective cohort

ObjectiveTo prospectively study suspected occupational risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodsFor this case–cohort analysis within the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study, 58 279 men and 62 573 women aged 55–69 years at enrolment in 1986 were followed up for 17.3 years on ALS m...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Occupational and environmental medicine (London, England) England), 2017-08, Vol.74 (8), p.578-585
Main Authors:	Koeman, Tom, Slottje, Pauline, Schouten, Leo J, Peters, Susan, Huss, Anke, Veldink, Jan H, Kromhout, Hans, van den Brandt, Piet A, Vermeulen, Roel
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Aged Agrochemicals Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - epidemiology Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - etiology Electromagnetic Fields - adverse effects Exposure Extremely low frequencies Fatalities Female Health risk assessment Humans Low frequencies Low frequency Magnetic fields Male Matrices (mathematics) Men Metals Metals - adverse effects Middle Aged Mortality Netherlands - epidemiology Occupational Diseases - epidemiology Occupational Diseases - etiology Occupational exposure Occupational Exposure - adverse effects Occupational hazards Occupational health Pesticides Pesticides - adverse effects Proportional Hazards Models Prospective Studies Regression analysis Risk analysis Risk Factors Sex Distribution Solvents Solvents - adverse effects Studies Surveys and Questionnaires Workplace
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	ObjectiveTo prospectively study suspected occupational risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodsFor this case–cohort analysis within the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study, 58 279 men and 62 573 women aged 55–69 years at enrolment in 1986 were followed up for 17.3 years on ALS mortality. Information on occupational history and potential confounders were collected at baseline through a self-administered questionnaire and entered for a random subcohort (2092 men and 2074 women) and ALS deaths (76 men and 60 women). Occupational exposure to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and electrical shocks was estimated by means of job exposure matrices (JEMs). Associations between ever/never occupationally exposed and cumulative exposure and ALS mortality were analysed by gender using Cox regression.ResultsOccupational exposure to ELF-MF showed a possible association with ALS mortality among men: HR for ever holding a job with high exposure versus background 2.19 (95% (CI): 1.02 to 4.73) and HR for the highest tertile of cumulative exposure versus background 1.93 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.55).InterpretationThese results strengthen the evidence suggesting a positive association between ELF-MF exposure and ALS. We did not replicate earlier positive findings for other occupational exposures.
ISSN:	1351-0711 1470-7926