Occupation and pulmonary emphysema

Bengt Sjögren1, John Carstensen2, Lars-Gunnar Hörte3, Nils Plato4

1Department of Occupational Health, Swedish National Institute for Working Life, Solna
2Department of Health and Society University of Linköping
3Division of Social Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Karolinska Institute Sundbyberg and Department of Forensic Medicine Uppsala University
4Department of Occupational Health Karolinska Hospital Stockholm

(1)Corresponding author: Dr. Bengt Sjögren
Department of Occupational Health, Swedish National Institute for Working Life
S-171 84 Solna Sweden
Telephone: 46 8 730 93 40
Fax: 46 8 730 98 60

CEJOEM 1996, 2(4):379-386 (See Erratum)
Abstract:
This study is a linkage of the 1960 Swedish National Census and the Causes of Death Register from 1961–1970 in order to investigate the relationship between occupation and death due to pulmonary emphysema. The study only comprised men born 1901–1920 and smoking habits in different occupational groups were taken into account. The only occupational group showing an increased mortality due to pulmonary emphysema after adjusting for smoking habits was the group containing agricultural, horticultural, and forestry management. This group contained farmers, as owners or supervisors, as its largest subgroup. The farming environment contains microorganisms and endotoxins which may play a causative role via the release of proteolytic enzymes.

Key words: Air pollutants, farmers, occupation, pulmonary emphysema. 


Received: 13 September 1996
Accepted: 14 November 1996
Posted: 31 May 2000
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