Occupational exposure to noise and cold environment and the risk of death due to myocardial infarction and stroke

Abstract

Purpose The present study examined a possible association between occupational exposure to noise, working and living in cold conditions, and the risk of mortality in myocardial infarction and stroke. Methods The present cohort study consists of 194,501 workers in the Swedish construction industry that participated in health examinations between 1971 and 1993. Noise exposure was defined on a job-exposure matrix based on a survey of the working conditions carried out during the mid 1970s. All workers were categorised into three main regions of Sweden, differing in temperature: Reference (Götaland), colder (Svealand), and coldest (Norrland). Relative risks (RR) were analysed by negative binomial regression adjusting for age, BMI, and smoking habits. Results Moderate and high noise exposure was associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction (RR 1.10-1.13 with 95% CI over unit) and stroke mortality (RR 1.15 to 1.19 with 95% CI over unit). There was an increased risk for myocardial infarction (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.20), but not for stroke mortality (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.94-1.25) associated with living and working in the coldest region. There was an interaction on the risk of myocardial infarction mortality between different regions and noise exposure (p = 0.016), but not for stroke mortality (p = 0.88). Conclusions The study indicates an interaction between working at hazardous noise levels and living and working in cold conditions for increased mortality in myocardial infarction.

Incidence of acute myocardial infarction in the workforce: Findings from the Occupational Disease Surveillance System

“…The magnitude of effect however, is dependent on noise intensity, duration, and type, as well as personal sensitivity 33 . Increased cardiovascular risks have also been noted for groups exposed to high levels of noise including mining, 35 trucking, 36 construction, 37 metal manufacturing, 38 and pulp and paper mills, 39 supporting important associations in our study. Workers should be educated about the harmful impacts of noise, and the use of hearing protection equipment to minimize potential workplace hazards.…”

“…Radiation may also explain increased risks detected for uranium miners specifically, 41 and highlights the need for heightened CVD screening procedures in the workplace. Environmental stressors, such as cold temperature extremes, are occupational exposures for many outdoor, manual workers in our Canadian study as well 37 …”

The effect of occupational exposure to noise on ischaemic heart disease, stroke and hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury

“…For the 172 excluded studies that most closely resembled inclusion criteria, the reasons for exclusion are listed in Appendix 4 in the Supplementary data . After updating the search on January 31st 2020, one additional study, which met the inclusion criteria, was added to the list of included studies ( Pettersson et al, 2020 ). Of the 17 included studies in the systematic review, 14 were included in one or more quantitative meta-analyses.…”

“…Whenever needed, we attempted to contact the corresponding authors of respective publications and requested re-analysis of their data. This was done if the risk estimate was not reported in a suitable format for pooling together with other studies (e.g., a different cut-off exposure level; Pettersson et al (2020) ) or if multiple comparisons were reported within a study (e.g., a single control group and several exposed groups stratified by duration of exposure (e.g. Davies (2002) ) (see Appendix 2 in the Supplementary data ).…”

The influence of specific aspects of occupational stress on security guards’ health and work ability: detailed extension of a previous study

“…The noxious exposures aspect includes exposure to physical, chemical, and biological hazards, including climate and microclimate extremes. Workers exposed to noise, air pollution, and temperature extremes are at higher risk of developing arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke ( 41 , 42 , 87 , 108 , 109 , 110 ).…”