Population-Based Study of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Occupational Lead Exposure in Denmark

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dickerson AS ; Gredal O ; Hansen J ; Specht AJ ; Weisskopf MG
• Description:
  Objectives: Previous research has indicated links between lead (Pb) exposure and increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this study, we evaluated the association between occupational Pb exposures and ALS. Methods: ALS cases were ascertained through the Danish National Patient Registry from 1982 to 2013 and age and sex-matched to 100 controls. Using complete employment history since 1964 from the Danish Pension Fund, cumulative Pb exposure was estimated for each subject via a Danish job exposure matrix. Associations were evaluated using conditional logistic regression analyses and stratified by sex. Results: For men with >50% probability of exposure, there was an increase in odds of ALS for exposures in the 60th percentile or higher during any time 5 years prior to diagnosis (aOR: 1.35; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.76) and 10 years prior to diagnosis (aOR: 1.33; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.72). No significant associations were observed in women, and there were no linear trends seen for Pb exposures for either sex. Conclusions: Our study indicates an association between consistently higher occupational Pb exposures and ALS. These findings support those of previously reported associations between ALS and specific occupations that commonly experience Pb exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Lead Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Sex Characteristics
• Keywords:
  Exposure Assessment Neurological Disorders Occupational Exposure Population Based Studies Risk Factors Sex Factors Surveillance
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  208-214
• Volume:
  76
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055516
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2016 Apr; 76(4):208-214
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Aisha S Dickerson, Chan School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupation Medicine and Epidemiology, Division of the Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
• Email:
  adickerson@hsph.harvard.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bc3a720fa6680853e61973ff44aa767c1c71a61a4669459c4e53dc15728df37ce9f0d6cd5291ae574b3d0d2f4518d66220faac34af7dfade0e59096a37a64c8c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213353/cdc_213353_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 241.77 KB ]