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. 2023 Aug 7:11:1235189.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1235189. eCollection 2023.

Exposure to insulating materials and risk of coronary artery diseases: a cross-sectional study

Subhabrata Moitra  1 , Ali Farshchi Tabrizi  1 , Fadi Khadour  2 , Linda Henderson  2 , Lyle Melenka  2 , Paige Lacy  1
Affiliations

Exposure to insulating materials and risk of coronary artery diseases: a cross-sectional study

Subhabrata Moitra et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Although previous reports link exposure to insulating materials with an increased risk of mesothelioma and chronic respiratory diseases, studies evaluating their associations with the risk of coronary artery diseases (CAD) are lacking.

Aims: We aimed at evaluating the associations between exposure to insulating materials and the 10-year risk of CAD among insulators.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 643 adults (≥18 years), full-time insulators from the Local 110 Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Union in Edmonton, Alberta. We obtained demographic information, personal and family history, and job-exposure history, including experience (years) and types of exposure to insulating materials. Clinical profiling including Framingham risk scores (FRS) was assessed.

Results: Of all insulators, 89% were men (mean ± SD age: 47 ± 12 years), 27% had a parental history of cardiac diseases, and 22% had a comorbid chronic respiratory disease. In total, 53% reported exposure to asbestos, while 61, 82, and 94% reported exposure to ceramic fibers, fiberglass, and mineral fibers, respectively. In single-exposure multivariable regression models adjusted for experience, marital status, and body mass index (BMI), asbestos was found to be associated with higher FRS (β: 1.004; 95%CI: 0.003-2.00). The association remained consistent in multi-exposure models and a higher association was found between asbestos exposure and FRS among insulators with comorbid chronic respiratory disease.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that apart from cancer and chronic respiratory diseases, asbestos exposure may also have a cardiac effect, thus warranting the need for systematic surveillance to protect workers from the adverse effects of these materials.

Keywords: Framingham risk score; asbestos; chronic respiratory disease; occupational exposure; worker's health.

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Conflict of interest statement

SM reports personal fees from Elsevier Inc. (USA), Synergy Respiratory and Cardiac Care (Canada), Permanyer Inc. (Spain); lecture fees from Apollo Gleneagles Hospital (India), and Institute of Allergy—Kolkata (India), outside the submitted work. FK and LM reports grants from the Wellness of Workers (WoW) Program, Local 110 Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers outside the present work. PL reports grants from the Wellness of Workers (WoW) Program, Local 110 Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Synergy Respiratory Care Limited, AstraZeneca Canada, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in Canada during the conduct of the study and personal fees from AstraZeneca Canada and GSK Canada, outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Association between occupational exposure to mineral fibers and Framingham risk score. (A) Single exposure models (B) multiple exposure models. Data presented as regression coefficient (marker) and 95% confidence interval (error bars) adjusted for marital status, BMI, and years of exposure in insulation works.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between occupational exposure to mineral fibers and Framingham risk score (A) stratified by sex and (B) effect modification by any chronic respiratory disease (CRD). Data presented as regression coefficient (marker) and 95% confidence interval (error bars) adjusted for marital status, BMI, and years of exposure in insulation works. *Indicates the p-values for interaction that are significant at p < 0.05.
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