Job Type May Raise Risk of Respiratory Disease

Previously, a number of studies have suggested that occupational exposures to chemicals may raise the risk of certain diseases. Rebecca Ghosh, from Imperial College London (United Kingdom), and colleagues studied 7,406 British adults born in 1958, for whom job histories up to the age of 42 were examined their team also compiled information on the subjects’ symptoms of asthma or wheezy bronchitis at various ages, as well as assessed sensitivity to allergens and lung power. The researchers then calculated the participants’ exposure to compounds with a known link to asthma, including respiratory irritants and high-risk agents such as flour, enzymes, cleaning or disinfectant products, metal and metal fumes, and textile production. After taking other factors into account, the investigators found 16% of adult-onset asthma cases among the participants could be explained by their jobs. While the study found an association, it did not prove that the nature of their occupations caused the onset of asthma.  The study showed those exposed to low-risk agents were 20%  more likely to develop asthma as an adult. The people exposed to high-risk agents were 53% more likely to be diagnosed with the respiratory condition. The participants exposed to both types of agents had a 34% greater risk of developing asthma. The findings suggest jobs involving cleaning or cleaning agents showed the strongest link to adult asthma. Meanwhile, farming more than quadrupled the risk for the condition, hairdressing doubled the risk and printing work tripled the risk. The study authors report that: “This study suggests that about 16% of adult onset asthma in British adults born in the late 1950s could be due to occupational exposures, mainly recognised high-risk exposures.”