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Cardiac function study in hard metal workers
F D'Adda1, D Borleri, M Migliori
1Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy.
Insights
Hard metal workers exposed to cobalt dust may experience cardiac dysfunction. This study used various tests to assess heart health, finding early signs of ventricular dysfunction in healthy workers.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Medicine
- Cardiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Hard metal workers are exposed to cobalt-containing dusts.
- The cardiac effects of this exposure, specifically cobalt myocardiopathy, are not well-established.
- Pulmonary disease is common in this occupational group.
Abstract:
The induction of cardiac effects in hard metal workers is uncertain. This study investigates cardiac function of a group of 31 hard metal workers with or without pulmonary disease. The average duration of exposure to cobalt containing dusts was 10.4 years (range 1-30), while the environmental levels of cobalt exposure ranged from 0.09 to 13.6 mg/m3 Co. Cardiac function has been studied by: ECG (electrocardiogram), exercise test (ET), ECG 24 h according to Holter (ECGH), echocardiogram (ECHO) and radionuclide angiocardiography with 99Tc (RNA). The aims of this work were (i) to show the existence of cobalt myocardiopathy in the workers analyzed and, (ii) to find an early indicator of cardiac dysfunction which could be used in the clinical examination of hard metal workers. Within the group of patients with hard metal lung disease, cases of myocardiopathy of doubtful aetiology have been found. The cardiac indexes obtained through RNA show ventricular dysfunction in healthy hard metal workers which could be a manifestation of initial pulmonary artery hypertension or of an early occult cor pulmonale due to an unknown fibrotic lung disease.