A case-control study of Alzheimer's disease and aluminium occupation

We examined clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease patients and controls, and collected information from informants, to examine the association between Alzheimer's disease and aluminium occupation.

An unmatched case-control study comparing 198 cases of Alzheimer's disease (ADRDA-NINCDS diagnostic criteria), to selected controls (164 other dementias and 176 nondementing group) in respect of their occupational history. The subjects included all patients referred to and seen by the first author during a 2 year study period.

Twenty-two of 198 patients with Alzheimer's disease (11.1%) reported having an aluminium occupation at some stage in their working life compared with 39 of 340 controls (11.5%), odds ratio 0.98, 95% Cl 0.53-1.75, P > 0.05. Aluminium workers reported to have worked in direct contact with aluminium dust and fumes did not appear to be at any greater risk than other workers who were employed at the same factory, odds ratio 1.19, 95% Cl, 0.64-4.18, P > 0.05.

There is no evidence to support an association between having previously worked in an aluminium factory and the risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life.