Cadmium and hypertension in exposed workers: A meta-analysis

Abstrac

Alimentazione e lavoro

HTTP//W3.UNIROMA1.IT/MEDICINADELLAVORO

Anxiety, musculoskeletal and visual disorders in video display terminal workers

Aim. The increase in the working population assigned to video display terminals (VDT) has led to ever growing attention to reports on health effects. We studied musculoskeletal and visual disorders and levels of anxiety in 2 groups of VDT operators with different tasks, in order to evaluate if they could be influenced by organizational and intrinsically working factors. Methods. The study included 190 VDT operators, subdivided into 2 groups (A and B) on the basis of tasks performed and average hours/week spent at VDT (25 vs 36), and 190 controls not assigned to VDT. Ocular and musculoskeletal subjective symptoms and objective findings were assessed for all subjects, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test was administered. Results. For VDT operators of the 2 groups, the relationship between ocular and musculoskeletal symptoms and findings, working life (P=0.0001) and number of hours spent at the VDT (symptoms P=0.001 and P=0.0001; findings P=0.002 and P=0.007), was significant. Group B VDT operators showed significantly higher state anxiety (S-anxiety) levels vs those in Group A and controls (P=0.001); trait anxiety (T-anxiety) was significantly higher in Group B and controls vs Group A (P=0.001 and P=0.03). Conclusions. Our results confirm the literature data about musculoskeletal and visual disorders and, as for anxiety, seem to denote a higher relevance of factors related to labor organization vs VDT use per se

Female workers exposed to traffic pollutans and plasma follicle stimulating hormone

The aim of the study was to determine if occupational exposure to automobile exhaust can cause alterations in plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in female traffic police. After excluding the subjects with confounding factors, traffic police and controls were matched by age, lifestyle, menstrual cycle day, body mass index, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking habits, and habitual consumption of soy and Italian coffee. Subjects were studied on the seventh, 14th, and 21st days of the cycle. On the seventh day, FSH mean levels were significantly higher in traffic police versus controls. On the 14th and 21st days, FSH levels were not different in traffic police versus controls. The results suggest that occupational exposure to the pollutants in automobile exhaust can alter FSH plasma concentrations

Plasma dopamine in workers exposed to urban stressor

The aim of this study is to evaluate if the occupational exposure to urban stressor could cause alterations in dopamine (DA) plasma levels and related diseases in traffic police officers compared to a control group. After excluding subjects with principal confounding factors, 306 traffic police officers (139 female and 167 male) and 301 controls (134 female and 167 male) were included in the study. In traffic police officers, mean DA values were significantly higher compared with controls (P = 0.006 and P = 0.000 in male and female, respectively). The distribution of DA values in traffic police officers and controls was significant (P = 0.000 and P = 0.000 in male and female, respectively). The number of male traffic police officers with a positive response to the questionnaire's items concerning anxiety, depression and panic attacks was higher than controls, though not significant (7.2% traffic police officers versus 4.2% controls). This difference was also not significant in female traffic police officers compared with controls. According to our previous researches on other neuro-immune-endocrine parameters, DA could be used as an early biological marker, valuable for the group to be employed in occupational sets, even before the onset of pathology