Mortality Associated With Occupational Exposure in Helsinki, Finland-A 24-Year Follow-up

Juuso Jalasto; Ritva Luukkonen; Ari Lindqvist; Arnulf Langhammer; Hannu Kankaanranta; Helena Backman; Eva Rönmark; Anssi Sovijärvi; Paula Kauppi; Päivi Piirilä

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002718

Mortality Associated With Occupational Exposure in Helsinki, Finland-A 24-Year Follow-up

J Occup Environ Med. 2023 Jan 1;65(1):22-28. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002718. Epub 2022 Oct 6.

Authors

Juuso Jalasto¹, Ritva Luukkonen, Ari Lindqvist, Arnulf Langhammer, Hannu Kankaanranta, Helena Backman, Eva Rönmark, Anssi Sovijärvi, Paula Kauppi, Päivi Piirilä

Affiliation

¹ From the Department of Clinical Physiology, HUS Medical Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Dr Jalasto, Dr Sovijärvi, Dr Piirilä); Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland (Dr Luukkonen); Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland (Dr Lindqvist, Dr Kauppi); HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway (Dr Langhammer); Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway (Dr Langhammer); Krefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden (Dr Kankaanranta); Department of Respiratory Medicine, Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Seinäjoki, Finland (Dr Kankaanranta); Tampere University Respiratory Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland (Dr Kankaanranta); and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, The OLIN Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden (Dr Backman, Dr Rönmark).

Abstract

Objectives: Our objective was to study mortality related to different obstructive lung diseases, occupational exposure, and their potential joint effect in a large, randomized population-based cohort.

Methods: We divided the participants based on the answers to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnoses and occupational exposure and used a combined effects model and compared the results to no asthma or COPD with no occupational exposure.

Results: High exposure had a hazards ratio (HR) of 1.34 (1.11-1.62) and asthma and COPD coexistence of 1.58 (1.10-2.27). The combined effects of intermediate exposure and coexistence had an HR of 2.20 (1.18-4.09), high exposure with coexistence of 1.94 (1.10-3.42) for overall mortality, and sub-HR for respiratory-related mortality of 3.21 (1.87-5.50).

Conclusions: High occupational exposure increased overall but not respiratory-related mortality hazards, while coexisting asthma and COPD overall and respiratory-related hazards of mortality.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Asthma* / etiology
Asthma* / mortality
Finland / epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Occupational Diseases / epidemiology
Occupational Exposure* / adverse effects
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* / etiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* / mortality
Risk Factors