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Welding and ischemic heart disease
Bengt Sjögren1, Trude Fossum, Tomas Lindh
1Work Environment Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Bengt.Sjogren@imm.ki.se
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
|November 5, 2002
Summary
Male welders exposed to metal fumes showed a 35% higher mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD). This finding suggests a link between occupational exposures and cardiovascular health, independent of smoking habits.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology
- Environmental Toxicology
Background:
- Metal welding and cutting involve exposure to harmful gases and respirable particles.
- Occupational exposures in welding may pose risks to cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between metal welding/gas cutting occupations and mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD).
- To compare IHD mortality rates in male welders with the general employed male population in Sweden.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Swedish National Censuses from 1970 and 1990 to identify cohorts of male welders and gas cutters.
- Established two cohorts and followed them for IHD mortality until the end of 1995.
- Compared observed IHD mortality in welders against expected rates in the general employed male population.
Main Results:
- An elevated mortality due to IHD was observed in male welders identified in the 1990 Census (Standardized Mortality Ratio [SMR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.6).
- The increased IHD mortality was unlikely attributable to differences in smoking behaviors between welders and the general population.
Conclusions:
- Metal welding and gas cutting occupations are associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease.
- Inhaled particles from welding may contribute to IHD development through inflammatory pathways.