Impact of heavy load activity on cardiovascular system: echocardiographic assessment of informal construction workers heart in Cameroon

Abstract

IntroductionPhysiological cardiac hypertrophy and dilation are common findings in heavy physical load activity. We carried out this study to investigate the relationship between construction work and cardiac parameters adaptations, by comparing healthy masons to office workers on heart ultrasound.MethodsThe study was carried out on, 50 construction workers and 50 office workers matched for their weight, height and age. Systolic and Diastolic blood pressures, Left Ventricular diameter and thickness, Septum wall thickness and Left ventricular mass index were measured and calculatedResultsHeart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were lower in construction workers, as compared to office workers: respectively 63±7 bpm vs. 75±6 bpm (p = 0.000); 120.1±7 mmHg vs. 130.5±9 mmHg (p = 0.000) and 68.5±7 mmHg vs. 77.0 ±9 mmHg (p = 0.000). Construction workers had a thicker septum and posterior wall: respectively 10.3 ± 1.1 mm vs. 8.9 ± 0.9 mm (p = 0.000); and 9.0 ± 1.2 mm vs. 8.1 ± 0.8 mm (p = 0.000).ConclusionConclusion We deducted that heavy load work has an impact on the heart mensuration. The past occupational history has to be taken into consideration during initial medical assessing of a worker in for a new job so as to avoid erroneous conclusions.

Formal and Informal Sector Workers Care in Cameroon-Need for Equitable Protection Approach based on Rational Assessment of Risks and Exposures through Carpenter?s Respiratory System Assessment

“…The longer carpenters were exposed in time to their job; the lower could be the blood pressure at rest [19]. Indeed, as previously showed, this situation could be attributable to a higher physical work load, lowering their blood pressure over time [19]. This argument pleads for a better care for informal sector workers.…”

“…Long duration in the same job has been showed for some categories of informal sector workers to have an impact on their health in previous study. The longer carpenters were exposed in time to their job; the lower could be the blood pressure at rest [19]. Indeed, as previously showed, this situation could be attributable to a higher physical work load, lowering their blood pressure over time [19].…”

Relationship between cumulative exposure to occupational lifting throughout working life and risk of ischemic heart disease in men and women. The Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank

“…However, association analysis between OL and IHD, stratified by sex, might still be warranted, and especially in non-Danish cohorts, as this is the only study investigating this besides the other Danish study by Petersen and colleagues ( Petersen et al 2012 ). However, overall prevention of CVD risk, among workers, could be accomplished by reducing exposure to OL, as OL (i) increase blood pressure, in some analysis ( Clays et al 2012 ; Korshøj et al 2020 ), but not all ( Korshøj et al 2021 ); (ii) reduce function of the heart ( Korshøj et al 2022a ; Nde et al 2014 ); (iii) acutely increase the relative aerobic workload ( Baumann et al 2023 ); and (iv) lead to increased levels of inflammation ( Feinberg et al 2022 ). All of these are being factors leading to an increase in CVD risk ( Lewington et al 2002 ; Krause 2010 ; Pedersen et al 2020 ), and are parts of the mechanism in the development of IHD, thus, future studies could consider to investigate this in mediation analysis.…”

A design concept of fuzzy decision support system for construction workers safety monitoring

“…Fatigue analysis with direct measurement, sensing and biomechanical measurement was applied in some studies, but they still used available devices separately. The lack of this approach results in a just in time measurement and cannot be combined with external factors outside of workers [3,5,6,18,20,25]. On the other hand, the dynamic construction work needs a fatigue analysis comprehensively based on internal and external factors.…”