Category: Obstructive lung diseases

Lung disease and exposures in occupational settings

Respiratory symptoms are common among dust- and fume-exposed workers

It has been suggested that about 15 in 100 cases of chronic lung disease are caused by workplace exposures. These exposures can be anything from noxious gases, dust, which are very small dry airborne particles of biological or mineral origin, and fumes, such as those generated from welding. Most of the evidence that supports this estimate comes from wealthy countries in Europe and North America. Data on the association of lung disease with occupational exposures in other regions of the world are limited.

To improve the understanding of the relationship between occupational exposures and lung disease across the world, we used data from almost 29,000 adults, aged 40 and above, who participated in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study. In this study, we asked participants about their job. We asked whether they worked in any of 11 settings considered to increase their exposure to dust or fumes. We also asked them whether they had a frequent cough, recurring mucous production, shortness of breath or wheezing. In addition, each of them had their lung function measured through spirometry.

We found that respiratory symptoms, that is frequent cough, recurring mucous production, shortness of breath and wheezing, were more common among people who worked in settings considered to have higher exposure to dusts and fumes. These findings were consistent across the several world regions. Interestingly and contrary to previous reports, we saw no evidence of a link between occupational exposures and worse lung function. At any rate, actions to avoid or reduce occupational exposures are still advised.

To learn more about this study check out the open-access peer-reviewed article in the European Respiratory Journal (https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00469-2022). This work was conducted as part of the PhD thesis of Jate Ratanachina.

Using spirometry to measure small airways obstruction, time for a rethink?

The airways in our lungs are like the branches of a tree. At their widest they resemble the sturdy tree trunk and at their most narrow, the fragile twigs. Due to their size, these twig-like structures are called the small airways and they are easily damaged by noxious particles or gases we inhale, for example cigarette smoke. When they are damaged, our small airways become inflamed, which stops air moving freely and leads to something called small airways obstruction. In conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), small airways obstruction is common. However, evidence also suggests that this condition can occur on its own and may be a sign of future and more serious lung disease. A test called spirometry is often used to investigate whether the small airways are obstructed or not, however, there is no agreement on how best to do this.

We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature to identify and summarise studies that measured small airways obstruction in the general population using spirometry. We extracted information from suitable studies on the choice of spirometry parameter used to measure small airways obstruction, criteria used to diagnose this condition, the proportion of people affected by it, and any factors that could be increase the odds of having this type of obstruction.

We found that only 25 studies have measured small airways obstruction in general populations around the world. Across these studies, 16 different spirometry parameters were used to measure it, along with 8 different diagnostic criteria. The proportion of people with small airways obstruction ranged from 7.5% to 45.9% and varied depending on the choice of spirometry parameter and world region. Just two studies identified potential risk factors for this type of obstruction, with cigarette smoking, passive smoking, increasing age, being women, low education level, and exposure to high levels of air pollution being the most promising.

Small airways obstruction is a common but understudied condition in general populations around the world. Risk factors for this condition appear to be similar to more established lung diseases, such as COPD. However, there is no consensus on the best spirometry parameter or diagnostic criteria to use when measuring this type of obstruction. For this reason, more research is required to identify the best measure of small airways obstruction and to assess whether having it increases the risk of future lung disease.

The findings of this study were published in the peer-reviewed journal Respiratory Research. The article can be read here: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-022-01990-2