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Occupational noise exposure and Raynaud's phenomenon: a nested case-control study.
Albin Stjernbrandt1, Mahmoud Abu Mdaighem1, Hans Pettersson1
1Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
International Journal of Circumpolar Health
|August 20, 2021
Summary
Occupational noise exposure was not directly linked to Raynaud's phenomenon in this study. However, a significant association was found between hearing loss and Raynaud's phenomenon, suggesting a common cause in noise-exposed workers.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Medicine
Background:
- Raynaud's phenomenon is a vascular disorder.
- Occupational noise exposure is a potential risk factor for various health issues.
- Understanding the link between environmental exposures and peripheral vascular diseases is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between self-reported occupational noise exposure and Raynaud's phenomenon.
- To explore potential common pathophysiological mechanisms linking noise exposure, hearing loss, and Raynaud's phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study was conducted in northern Sweden.
- 461 subjects with Raynaud's phenomenon and 763 matched controls were included.
- Occupational noise exposure and hearing loss were assessed via questionnaires and regression models.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant direct association was found between occupational noise exposure and Raynaud's phenomenon (OR 1.10).
- A trend suggested a dose-effect relationship between noise exposure and Raynaud's phenomenon.
- A significant association was observed between noise exposure and hearing loss (OR 2.76), and between hearing loss and Raynaud's phenomenon (OR 1.52).
Conclusions:
- Self-reported occupational noise exposure is not significantly associated with Raynaud's phenomenon.
- Hearing loss is robustly associated with Raynaud's phenomenon in noise-exposed workers.
- Findings suggest a potential common pathophysiological pathway, possibly noise-induced vasoconstriction, underlying both conditions.
Keywords:
(Mesh): Raynaud diseaseSwedenhand-arm vibration syndromehearing losshereditynoiseoccupationalMore Related Videos
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