Elevated serum liver enzymes and fatty liver changes associated with long driving among taxi drivers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chen-J-C ; Lippmann SJ ; Richardson DB
• Description:
  Background: Previous studies suggested increased morbidities and mortalities of liver diseases in drivers. Methods:To examine whether driving (monthly driving distance; tenure) is associated with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), or chronic fatty liver (FL) changes, we performed a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of the Taxi Drivers' Health Study (n equals 1,355), adjusting for clinical, demographic, and lifestyle factors. Results: Prevalence of elevated ALT, elevated AST, and fatty liver changes were 22.0 percent, 5.1 percent, and 9.3 percent, respectively. Driving distance had a positive association with elevated ALT with a prevalence ratio of 1.35 (95 percent CI: 0.98, 1.89) comparing the highest versus lowest driving quartile. This association differed by alcohol use, with a corresponding prevalence ratio of 2.08 (95 percent CI: 1.30, 3.33) among ''past/current'' drinkers but no association among ''never'' drinkers. Similar patterns were found for AST, but estimates were less stable. We found a curvilinear response pattern for fatty liver changes; prevalence first increased with years as a taxi driver and then receded in the highest ranges of driving tenure, regardless of the alcohol history. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence that long driving is associated with both short-term and chronic liver insults, although alcohol use appears to modify this putative effect. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Alcoholic Beverages Amino Acids Automobiles Demography Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Enzymes Liver Occupational Health Safety Transportation

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• Keywords:
  Alanine Aminotransferase Alcoholic-beverages Amino-acids Author Keywords: Fatty Liver Disease Demographic-characteristics Drivers Enzyme-activity Fatty-acids Liver-damage Liver-disorders Liver-enzymes Occupational Epidemiology Professional Driving Service-industries Taxi Drivers Transportation-industry Transportation-workers Work-intervals

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  54
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039428
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2011 Aug; 54(8):618-627
• Contact Point Address:
  Steven J. Lippmann, MSPH, Department of Epidemiology, CB#7435, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
• Email:
  slippmann@unc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:af46f1cf635e7668bacc597b4b8208fc3346ea4bff1274bd64002aa015ab29c4208ebcfe03588042521b02007a00955fdadb0e752f33457f1354a726c6405364
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192713/cdc_192713_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 125.33 KB ]