Association between Work and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Pulmonology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Occupational diseases require clear diagnostic guidelines linking work exposures to health outcomes.
• Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD) is a significant public health concern with potential occupational links.
• Systematic reviews are crucial for synthesizing evidence on occupational risk factors for diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing systematic reviews assessing the association between occupational exposures to vapors, dusts, gases, and fumes (VDGF) and COPD.
• To provide evidence supporting occupational physicians in diagnosing and reporting COPD as an occupational disease.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of Medline for systematic reviews published between January 2009 and June 2017.
• Inclusion criteria required COPD assessment via lung function data and description of work-related VDGF exposures.
• Study quality was assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• Eight systematic reviews were included, consistently showing associations between occupational VDGF exposure and COPD.
• High heterogeneity was noted in two-thirds of the studies, which were often cross-sectional with self-reported exposures.
• Two high-quality reviews with meta-analyses indicated an increased risk of COPD from general VDGF exposure (OR 1.4) and inorganic dust exposure (FEV₁ difference -5.7%).

Conclusions:

• Work-related exposure to VDGF is associated with a small but significant increase in COPD risk.
• The findings support the consideration of occupational exposures in COPD assessment and diagnosis.
• Further research with detailed workplace measurements is recommended to elucidate dose-response relationships for specific VDGF exposures.