Bronchial Responsiveness and Five-Year FEV1 Decline: A Study in Miners and Nonminers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Henneberger, Paul K. ; Hodgins P ; Petsonk, Edward L. ; Wang M
• Description:
  Increased nonspecific bronchial responsiveness (NSBR) may be a risk factor for the development of chronic airflow obstruction. We evaluated this hypothesis in a cohort of 378 underground coal miners and working nonminers. Methacholine testing was performed at the beginning and end of a 5-yr study period. Spirometry was repeated at 6-mo intervals and individual 5-yr FEV1 slopes were calculated by linear regression. Relationships between FEV1 slopes and NSBR were examined using multiple linear regression models, controlling for FEV1 level, smoking, and mining. Increasing NSBR at the initial survey was associated with a somewhat greater rate of subsequent FEV1 decline. Methacholine responders at the final survey had a considerably increased rate of decline during the previous years. Responsiveness status changed over the 5 yr in 22% of the subjects. Both the development and persistence of increased NSBR were strongly associated with higher rates of FEV1 decline. In contrast, FEV1 declines were not accelerated among workers with increased NSBR that reverted to normal. Smoking and mining were both independently associated with FEV1 declines, but did not substantially modify the effect of NSBR. Due to its variability over time, NSBR testing predicts lung function decline only in some individuals, and its value as a prognostic test for chronic airway disorders is limited. Because improvement in bronchial hyperresponsiveness was associated with a reduction in the rate of FEV1 loss, interventions directed at preventing or reducing nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness should be investigated. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Asthma Asthma, Occupational Coal Coal Mining Methacholine Compounds Mining Occupational Health Respiratory Function Tests Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Air-flow Airway-obstruction Bronchial-asthma Bronchial-cancer Coal-miners Coal-workers Methacholines Mine-workers Miners Mining-industry Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-factors Spirometry

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• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  157
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024381
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998 May; 157(5 Pt 1):1390-1396
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Edward L. Petsonk, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Part Number:
  1
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fd58829cfce7919fb043e89f8751aec815f4f7f58e56236b6a2d5badc31bb714fbb8c95e3f43c3a8f74f4f040026c035f6ff0cb51e653d865d31b0f067384423
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196209/cdc_196209_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 71.64 KB ]