1.
Occupational health disparities among U.S. long-haul truck drivers: the influence of work organization and sleep on cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk.
Hege, A, Lemke, MK, Apostolopoulos, Y, Sönmez, S
PloS one. 2018;(11):e0207322
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The organization of work has undergone vast transformations over the past four decades in the United States and has had profound impacts on worker health and wellbeing. The profession of commercial truck driving is one of the best examples. Particularly for long-haul truck drivers, changes in work organization have led to disproportionately poor physiological, psychological, and sleep health outcomes. METHODS The present study examined disparities in cardiometabolic disease risk among long-haul truck drivers and the general population, and the influence of work organization and sleep in generating these outcomes. Researchers collected survey data from 260 drivers, and blood assay samples from 115 of those drivers, at a large highway truck stop in North Carolina. Comparisons were made for cardiovascular and metabolic risk against the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In addition, logistic regression was used to explore predictive relationships between work organization and sleep and risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease. RESULTS There were statistically significant mean differences between the long-haul truck driver sample and the NHANES sample for both cardiovascular (3.71 vs. 3.10; p <0.001) and metabolic (4.31 vs. 3.09; p <0.001) disease risk. The truck driver sample was less physically active and had lower HDL cholesterol along with greater levels of smoking, BMI, and metabolic syndrome diagnosis. More years of driving experience and poor sleep quality were statistically significant predictors for both cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk. CONCLUSIONS Study findings implicate elements of the occupational milieu experienced by long-haul truck drivers that induce disproportionate cardiometabolic disease risk. Sleep quality, largely compromised by poor work conditions and workplace environments, plays a significant role in increased risks for cardiometabolic disease. There is an urgent need for longitudinal studies of this critical occupational sector as well as intervention research centered on policy and systems level change.
2.
Serum content of total adipionectin in the ChNPP accident clean up workers of the «iodine period» suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (literature review and research data).
Dombrovska, NS, Pleskach, OY
Problemy radiatsiinoi medytsyny ta radiobiolohii. 2017;:353-371
Abstract
OBJECTIVE assay of the total adiponectin level in the ChNPP accident clean up workers (ACUW) of the «iodine peri od» exposed to ionizing radiation in a young age and suffering now from type 2 diabetes mellitusMaterials and methods. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident clean up workers (ACUW) of the iodine period (n=111) exposed to ionizing radiation at a young age (18-35 years) were examined in two groups: Group I (main study group, n=66) of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and Group II (comparison group, n=45) of persons with normal glucose challenge test results. Total radiation doses varied in the range of 10.0-860.0 mSv. Group III (nosological control group, n=20) included persons suffering type 2 DM but not exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) and Group IV were apparently healthy. All study groups were representative by the age. Anthropometric data and parameters of glycemic control were assayed. Index of the homeostatic model for assessing insulin resistance (HOMA IR) was calculated. Level of total adiponectin was assayed by the immune enzyme method. Statistical pro cessing of the data was carried out using Missrosoft® Exxel 2002 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Serum concentration of total adiponectin in the Chornobyl NPP ACUW of the iodine peri od and suffering type 2 DM despite having normal body weight or overweight or any degree of obesity was signifi cantly lower compared to apparently healthy persons ACUW with and normal glycemic control. Moderate negative correlation was found between the level of total adiponectin and degree of obesity in the ACUW suffering type 2 DM (t = 0.367, p <0.05). With an increase in the duration of the disease there was a decrease in serum concentration of total adiponectin in the Chornobyl NPP ACUW of iodine period suffering type 2 DM and in the group of nosologi cal control. The most favorable type of glycemic profile was peculiar for patients in the main group with higher lev els of total serum adiponectin and the lowest body mass index (up to 25 kg/m2). An increase in the body mass index was accompanied by an adverse combination of abnormalities in glycemic metabolism (increased glucose concen tration, IRI, and HbA1c), insulin resistance (a significant increase in HOMA) against the background of a decrease in concentration of total adiponectin. No significant differences were found in adiponectin levels in dose subgroups. At the same time, the reliable differences between the main group and comparison group were found in the 2-5th dose subgroups, which are due to differences in numbers of people with metabolic syndrome (obesity) in the groups.
3.
[Interactions between alcohol and work exposure to chemical substances].
Toffoletto, F, Crippa, M, Torri, D
La Medicina del lavoro. 2007;(6):513-20
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The quite diffused habit of a significant assumption of alcohol drinks, can interfere with the professional exposure to chemical substances. The interaction may result in increasing their toxicity and/or modifying the parameters of the biological monitoring. It may also act as a confounding factor, not only in epidemiologic researches but also at individual level when the assessment of the occupational exposure and/or the diagnosis of an occupational diseases, is under consideration. We review available references in the literature summarizing major scientific evidences. RESULTS The interaction between the alcohol assumption and industrial chemicals may be toxicokinetic or toxicodynamic. Alcohol can interfere in the processes of biotransformation of xenobiotics and modify the doses and the effect indicators used for the biological monitoring, causing wrong interpretations of the results. The metabolism of ethanol can be altered by the exposures to toxic industrial materials, creating some clinical pictures of alcohol intolerance, like an "antabuse syndrome" or an "degreaser flush syndrome". Professional exposure to carbon sulfide or to dimethylformamides, trichloroethylene as well as to nitroglycerin and nitroglycole ethylenic can produce similar syndromes. Interactions are reported between alcohol and solvents: on toxicokinetic bases for methanol, isopropanol, glycol ether, trichloroethylene, methyl ethyl ketone and toluene; and on toxicodynamic bases for CNS. Also between alcohol and metals there can occur toxicokinetic interactions, like in the case of lead and mercury. Alcohol can also interfere with the biological monitoring of solvents, producing an over-estimation of the exposure. CONCLUSIONS For the biological monitoring of reported chemical substances, it is suitable to evaluate the biologic indicators in the days in which there is not assumed alcohol. If this cannot be guaranteed, it is necessary to know at least the quantity of the alcohol consumed or at least if the subject is an alcohol abuser.