Non-cancer Diseases of Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors in Residence at Hapcheon, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Many Koreans, in addition to Japanese, were killed or injured by the atomic bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945. Our study examined non-cancer diseases of Korean A-bomb survivors in residence at Hapcheon, Republic of Korea and evaluated whether they had significantly higher prevalence of non-cancer diseases than non-exposed people. We evaluated a number of tests, including anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, blood chemistry, hepatitis B surface antigen, and urinalysis, of survivors (n=223) and controls (n=372). Univariate analysis revealed significantly lower fasting glucose and creatinine, and higher diastolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen levels in the survivors than in the controls. The calculation of crude prevalence ratios (PRs) revealed that A-bomb survivors had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (PR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.00-1.35) and chronic liver disease (2.20; 1.59-3.06) than controls. After adjusting for covariates (age, sex, body mass index, marital status, education, alcohol consumption, and smoking), A-bomb survivors had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (1.24; 1.06-1.44), chronic liver disease (2.07; 1.51-2.84), and hypercholesterolemia (1.79; 1.11-2.90) than controls. This study suggests that A-bomb exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of non-cancer diseases in Korean survivors.

Biological Profiles of Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors in Residence at Daegu and Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea

“…According to the previous study conducted at Hapcheon by Ju et al, atomic bomb survivors had relatively good health behaviors compared to controls (4). Because the survivors were warned that smoking and drinking might worsen their health in combination with their past atomic bomb exposure, they smoked and drank less than the controls.…”

“…This study was limited to univariate analysis of biological profiles between atomic bomb survivors and controls because we could not obtain information on covariates of the survivors, such as past medical history, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socioeconomic status (SES). According to the previous study conducted at Hapcheon by Ju et al, atomic bomb survivors had relatively good health behaviors compared to controls ( 4 ). Because the survivors were warned that smoking and drinking might worsen their health in combination with their past atomic bomb exposure, they smoked and drank less than the controls.…”

“…In 2004, Ju et al investigated non-cancer diseases in Korean atomic bomb survivors living at Hapcheon, Republic of Korea. They reported that Korean atomic bomb survivors have a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension, chronic liver disease, and hypercholesterolemia compared to controls who were recruited from the second Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (K-NHANES II) conducted in 2001 ( 4 ). Their study was the first epidemiological study to evaluate the health of Korean atomic bomb survivors, and suggested that radiation exposure adversely affects the health of Korean survivors, although several years have passed since the detonation.…”

“…After returning to Korea, the atomic bomb survivors might not have been provided with sufficient resources and a low SES combined with atomic bomb exposure might have affected their health subsequently. The study conducted by Ju et al revealed that only 2.7% of atomic-bomb survivors in Hapcheon graduated from a high school, college, or university ( 4 ). In other words, 97.3% of the survivors had less than a high-school education.…”

Cohort Study Protocol: A Cohort of Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors and Their Offspring

“…In Korea, the ABS and their health and hereditary effects became public issues in the 1990s. Therefore, some studies about the health status of Korean ABS and their children have been conducted [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However, those studies focused on the health status of Korean ABS and their children using cross-sectional study designs; thus, the reasons for worse health status in ABS and their children than in the general populationthat is, whether those differences were caused by atomic bomb exposure and its transgenerational effects, by health behaviors, or by socioeconomic differences compared with general population-could not be identified.…”