Increased odds of mortality from non-malignant respiratory disease and lung cancer are highest among US coal miners born after 1939

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Occup Environ Med
• Personal Author:
  Almberg, Kirsten S ; Halldin, Cara N ; Friedman, Lee S ; Go, Leonard H T ; Rose, Cecile S ; Hall, Noemi B ; Cohen, Robert A
• Description:
  Objectives
  
  Coal miners suffer increased mortality from non-malignant respiratory diseases (NMRD), including pneumoconioses and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with the US population. We characterised mortality trends from NMRD, lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) using data from the Federal Black Lung Program, National Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program and the National Death Index.
  
  Methods
  
  We compared mortality ORs (MORs) for NMRD, lung cancer and IHD in former US coal miners to US white males. MORs were computed for the study period 1979–2017 by birth cohort (<1920, 1920–1929, 1930–1939, ≥1940), with a subanalysis restricted to Central Appalachia.
  
  Results
  
  The study population totalled 235 550 deceased miners, aged >45 years. Odds of death from NMRD and lung cancer across all miner birth cohorts averaged twice those of US males. In Central Appalachia, MORs significantly increased across birth cohorts. There was an eightfold increase in odds of death from NMRD among miners born after 1940 (MORBC≥1940 8.25; 95% CI 7.67 to 8.87). Miners with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) were younger at death than those without PMF (74 vs 78 years; p<0.0001). We observed a pattern of reduced MORs from IHD in coal miners compared with national and regional counterparts.
  
  Conclusion
  
  US coal miners have excess mortality from NMRD and lung cancer compared with total US and Appalachian populations. Mortality is highest in the most recent birth cohorts, perhaps reflecting increased rates of severe pneumoconiosis.
  
  
• Keywords:
  Coal Coal Mining Humans Lung Neoplasms Male Miners Myocardial Ischemia Occupational Diseases Pneumoconiosis Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases

  More +
• Source:
  Occup Environ Med. 80(3):121-128
• Pubmed ID:
  36635098
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10428099
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  80
• Issue:
  3
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:00baac74b2722b04ed16a082e58d31ecb8f146e4ba97d1a4a535c68f8d1d0d09
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/132162/cdc_132162_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 427.40 KB ]