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Review
. 2024 Jan 18;12(2):238.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare12020238.

Low-Dose Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Cardiovascular Effects: A Narrative Review

Guglielmo Manenti  1 , Luca Coppeta  2 , Ivan Valentinov Kirev  1 , Greta Verno  2 , Francesco Garaci  1 , Andrea Magrini  2 , Roberto Floris  1
Affiliations
Review

Low-Dose Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Cardiovascular Effects: A Narrative Review

Guglielmo Manenti et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Historically, non-cancer diseases have not been considered a health risk following low-dose exposure to ionizing radiation. However, it is now well known that high-dose ionizing radiation causes cardiovascular disease, and emerging epidemiological evidence suggests an excess risk of non-cancer diseases even following exposure to lower doses of ionizing radiation than previously thought. In fact, the evidence is strongest for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this review was to report the most representative studies and data on the risk of CVD from low-dose radiation in people with occupational exposure. We reported the results of 27 articles selected from a database search of 1151 studies. The results show a complex evidence landscape on the relationship between radiation exposure and cardiovascular disease. In general, published papers show a positive association between ionizing radiation exposure and dermal microcirculation damage, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Overall, they highlight the need for comprehensive and detailed research to clarify this relationship. Due to limited statistical power, the dose-risk relationship below 0.5 Gy is inconclusive, but if this relationship is found to have no threshold, it could have a significant impact on current estimates of health risks at low doses.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; ionizing radiation; low-dose radiations; occupational exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart showing exclusions made to derive the final set of studies used.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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