Category: Restrictive 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.

Restricted lung function and cardiometabolic diseases

People with restrictive lung function are likely to also have heart disease or diabetes

 

Take a deep breath in and as you inhale, pay attention to your lungs and chest expanding. Now, imagine you could not expand your lungs to their maximum capacity. The inability to fully expand the lungs when inhaling is usually a sign of restrictive lung function. This condition has been linked to worse quality of life, increased mortality, and it is a good predictor of reduced life expectancy even among people who have never smoked in their life.

Using data from almost 24,000 people, aged 40 years and above, who participated in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study, we have investigated the relationship between restrictive lung function and hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Participants in this study provided information on several aspects of their life, including whether they had been diagnosed with specific diseases, whether they smoke or smoked, their weight, and their highest level of education. Lung function was measured through spirometry.

Almost a third of the participants in the BOLD study had restrictive lung function. Most of these people live in Africa and Asia. One in 4 participants had hypertension, 1 in 10 had cardiovascular disease and 8 in 100 had diabetes. The odds of having hypertension or cardiovascular disease were 50% higher among people with restrictive lung function than among people without this lung condition. The odds of having diabetes were 86% higher. These findings were independent of age, sex, level of education, whether they smoked, and whether they were underweight or obese.

The underlying reasons for the occurrence of restrictive lung function with hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are not known. Therefore, there is a need for more studies to investigate this relationship.

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/s12931-022-01939-5.