Effects of occupational exposure to respirable quartz dust on acute myocardial infarction

摘要

Objectives T he aim of this study is to investigate the effects of occupational exposure to respirable quartz (RQ) on first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). RQ causes pulmonary diseases like silicosis and has also been linked to cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation is hypothesised as the underlying pathway. Methods We performed a 1: 3 matched case-control study nested in a cohort of male uranium miners. We included cases (identified from hospital records and validated according to WHO criteria) who had suffered their first AMI while still employed and 14.62 mg/m3-years) was 1.27 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.98). However, for miners born after 1928 and hired in the earliest recruitment era (1946-1954), a significantly elevated risk was seen in the highest RQ tertile (OR= 6.47 [ 95% CI 1.33 to 31.5]; 50 matched sets). Conclusions A n impact of quartz dust on first AMI was observed only in a small subgroup that had virtually no pre-exposure to RQ. Further studies on the basis of complete occupational history are required to substantiate this finding.