Work and rheumatic diseases

W artykule przedstawiono problemy dotyczące osób aktywnych zawodowo, z rozpoznaną chorobą reumatyczną. Przybliżono czytelnikom charakter tych schorzeń oraz ich związek ze sposobem wykonywania pracy lub warunkami pracy. Wskazano konieczność profilaktyki pierwotnej i wtórnej, jak również rehabilitacji zawodowej.n the article the authors present the problems of working people with rheumatic disease. The character of these disorders and the relation between them and the kind of work or working environment are described. The necessity of primary and secondary prevention and rehabilitation is indicated

Prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors and occupation

Obserwowany w ostatnich dwóch dziesięcioleciach wzrost występowania choroby niedokrwiennej serca w społeczeństwie spowodował zainteresowanie środowisk naukowych oraz ogółu społeczeństwa czynnikami ryzyka związanymi z tą chorobą. Szczególnie niepokojącym zjawiskiem jest obniżanie się wieku chorych, u których w przebiegu choroby niedokrwiennej serca występuje zawał serca. Zainteresowanie budzi również wpływ stylu życia oraz stresu wynikającego z wykonywanej pracy na występowanie czynników ryzyka choroby niedokrwiennej serca. W artykule przedstawiono klasyfikację czynników ryzyka choroby niedokrwiennej serca według AHA, metody oceny ryzyka sercowo-naczyniowego, oraz wyniki pracy dotyczącej występowania czynników ryzyka choroby niedokrwiennej serca w dwóch grupach zawodowych: wśród kierowników i pracowników fizycznych.The increasing prevalence of coronary hart disease (CHD), which has been observed in the past two decades, has resulted in researchers' and the general public's interest in the risk factors CHD. The decreasing age of patients with CHD complicated by myocardial infarction is particularly worrying. The influence of life-style and occupational stress on the prevalence of CHD risk factors is focused on, too. This article presents a classification of CHD risk factors and methods for cardiovascular risk assessment as well as the results of our own study on the prevalence of CHD risk factors in two professional groups: managers and blue-collar workers

Analysis of Conditions and Organization of Work of Notebook Computer Users

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate working conditions with a notebook computer (notebook) as a potential cause of musculoskeletal disorders. Material and methods. The study had 2 stages. The first one was a questionnaire survey among 300 notebook users. The next stage was an expert analysis of 53 randomly selected workstations. The questionnaire survey included questions about the participants, their working conditions, work organization and also duration of work with a notebook. Results and conclusions. The results of the research showed that most examined operators used a notebook as a basic working tool. The most important irregularities included an unadjustable working surface, unadjustable height of the seat pan and backrest, unadjustable height and distance between the armrests and no additional ergonomic devices (external keyboard, docking station, notebook stand or footstool)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Occupational Medicine Practice

Work-related overload syndromes are chiefly associated with the upper limbs, where carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) plays a leading role. This article analyses methods of diagnosing CTS, with special emphasis on those that can be used by physicians in early diagnosis of CTS in workers doing monotonous work. It also discusses occupational (e.g., assembly work, typing, playing instruments, packaging and work associated with the use of a hammer or pruning scissors) and extra-occupational factors (e.g., post-traumatic deformation of bone elements of the carpal tunnel, degenerative and inflammatory changes in tendon sheaths, connective tissue hypertrophy or formation of crystal deposits) leading to CTS; diagnostic methods (subjective symptoms, physical examination, manual provocative tests, vibration perception threshold, electrophysiological examination and imaging methods); and therapeutic and preventive management tools accessible in occupational medicine practice

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Risk in Physical Workers and Managers

This study aimed to assess the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and cardiovascular risk in physical workers and managers in Poland. There were 232 male subjects: 123 managers (48.9 ± 11.2 years old) and 109 physical workers (37.5 ± 11.1 years old). The family history of CHD was recorded and anthropometric and biochemical indices, i.e., body mass index, visceral obesity index, blood pressure, glucose, total cholesterol, fibrinogen, HDL (high density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein) and triglycerides were measured. Cardiovascular risk was assessed with the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) table system. The factors that turned out to be the most common in the managers were obesity, hypertension, and elevated levels of blood glucose and LDL, whereas cigarette smoking, premature CHD in the family and a high level of fibrinogen were more common in physical workers. Very high cardiovascular risk was found in 35% of managers and in 16% of physical workers

Work Ability in Ageing Workers Suffering From Chronic Diseases

The aim of this study was to investigate the work ability in ageing workers suffering from osteoarthritis (OA), coronary heart disease (CHD) or hypertension (H). One hundred and sixty-six OA and 355 CHD/H outpatients were evaluated. The Work Ability Index (WAI) served for work ability assessment. Patients’ results were compared with the results of a control group of 225 healthy young workers. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA tests. WAI in female and male CHD/H patients was higher than in OA patients (p < .01), better work ability was related to better education (p < .01), white-collar work (p < .01) and better recreation (p < .01); subjective work ability was determined mostly by the objective health status. The promotion of work ability among workers suffering from advanced age-related diseases should be closely related to the promotion of health. It is indicative to improve occupational education and skills, already at an early stage of a disease

Job Strain, Overtime, Life Style, and Cardiovascular Risk in Managers and Physical Workers

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between overtime, job strain and life style, and cardiovascular risk (CVR) in 97 managers and 98 physical workers. CVR was measured with the Framingham method. Information about job strain, overtime, life style and extra-occupational activities was obtained with a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that both groups had a similar, medium-level job stress. Being a manager and having extra-occupational activities (self-education) were significantly related with CVR (p = .000, p = .035, respectively), whereas other factors that were analysed (i.e., physical work and overtime) were not. The managers were older than the physical workers; that may be why the factor of being a manager was significantly related to CVR. The extra-occupational activities connected with improving workersʼ skills may play an important role in the development of workersʼ overload and an increase in CVR