Raynaud's phenomenon in the occupational context.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Vascular Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) can be triggered by occupational exposures.
• Understanding the prevalence of occupational RP is crucial for worker health.
• Vibration and cold are suspected contributing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the prevalence of occupational Raynaud's phenomenon.
• To identify key occupational risk factors associated with RP.
• To synthesize existing evidence on vibration and thermal exposure in RP.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major scientific databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, SciELO, Lilacs).
• Eligibility criteria were applied to select relevant studies evaluating occupational RP prevalence.
• Data extraction focused on vibration exposure, thermal factors, and reported prevalence rates.

Main Results:

• 18 studies met the inclusion criteria from an initial search of 64 articles.
• All included studies investigated upper limb exposure to vibrations.
• Six studies addressed thermal exposure; no studies examined vinyl chloride exposure.

Conclusions:

• A higher prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon was observed in workers using vibratory tools compared to unexposed individuals.
• Increased vibration levels and prolonged exposure duration correlated with a higher incidence of RP.
• Cold acts as a significant trigger and exacerbating factor for RP, contributing to hand-arm vibration syndrome vascular manifestations.