Long-Term Effects of WTC Exposure on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Diseases Using Automated CT Image Analysis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Jirapatnakul A
• Description:
  In this study, we utilized automated measures of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, specifically emphysema, interstitial lung disease, coronary artery calcification, and pulmonary hypertension to quantify the burden of disease in all available chest CT scans of members in the WTC GRC. We investigated whether these measures of disease showed any difference between the WTC GRC and a matched cohort of lung screening participants for extent and progression, as well as whether these were affected by different levels of WTC dust exposure, defined as when each member arrived at the WTC site. We successfully analyzed CT scans of 2284 members of the WTC GRC for pulmonary disease and 1246 members for cardiac disease. We established a matched cohort of 557 lung screening participants that were matched on sex, smoking status, one or more CT scans, follow-up time, and age. Using this dataset, we found that there was a significant difference in the amount of emphysema, interstitial lung disease, and coronary artery calcifications on the first available CT between members of the WTC GRC and the matched lung screening cohort - the members of the WTC GRC had higher burden of these three diseases. Many of the first available CT scans were over 10 years after 9/11, which further suggests that the increased burden of these diseases remains even after a long period of time. This supports the need for long-term health monitoring and sustained surveillance programs for WTC GRC members. We did not find a significant difference in the marker of pulmonary hypertension. We also did not find evidence that the progression of these diseases differed between the two groups. Similarly, we did not find a significant association between the arrival time to the WTC site and any of the four markers of disease. The lack of disease progression differences, may suggest that factors beyond initial exposure may play a more critical role in long-term disease trajectory. More research is needed to fully understand the long-term health impacts of WTC dust exposures and the factors influencing disease progression. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Automation Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Cohort Studies Dust Emergency Responders Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks

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• Keywords:
  Cardiovascular Disease Cohort Studies Dust Exposure Dust Inhalation First Responders Imaging Techniques Medical Screening Respiratory Diseases World Trade Center WTC
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; New York City Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-45
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070801
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-012244, 2024 Oct; :1-45
• Contact Point Address:
  Artit Jirapatnakul, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 1, Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, Ny 10029-6574
• Email:
  artit.jirapatnakul@mountsinai.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20210701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20230630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8ee8b32f5f17647edacd407ff4da17170eef9ad01b304c70339eb419b721a39c3531874e2f3a557afd1643d1ba820e247138b97d570e936898ecdfd1bcc2d969
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219282/cdc_219282_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.25 MB ]