ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Occupational and residential noise exposure has been related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Alteration of serum lipid levels has been proposed as a possible causal pathway. The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between ambient and at-the-ear occupational noise exposure and serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides when accounting for well-established predictors of lipid levels. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 424 industrial workers and 84 financial workers to obtain contrast in noise exposure levels. They provided a serum sample and wore portable dosimeters that every 5-s recorded ambient noise exposure levels during a 24-h period. We extracted measurements obtained during work and calculated the full-shift mean ambient noise level. For 331 workers who kept a diary on the use of a hearing protection device (HPD), we subtracted 10 dB from every noise recording obtained during HPD use and estimated the mean full-shift noise exposure level at the ear. RESULTS: Mean ambient noise level was 79.9 dB (A) [range 55.0-98.9] and the mean estimated level at the ear 77.8 dB (A) [range 55.0-94.2]. Ambient and at-the-ear noise levels were strongly associated with increasing levels of triglycerides, cholesterol-HDL ratio, and decreasing levels of HDL-cholesterol, but only in unadjusted analyses that did not account for HPD use and other risk factors. CONCLUSION: No associations between ambient or at-the-ear occupational noise exposure and serum lipid levels were observed. This indicates that a causal pathway between occupational and residential noise exposure and cardiovascular disease does not include alteration of lipid levels.
Subject(s)
Lipids/blood , Manufacturing Industry , Noise, Occupational/adverse effects , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Adult , Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology , Cholesterol/blood , Cross-Sectional Studies , Denmark , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Female , Humans , Lipoproteins, HDL/blood , Lipoproteins, LDL/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Occupational Exposure/analysis , Risk Factors , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To analyse whether psychological demands and decision latitude measured on individual and work-unit level were related to prescription of antihypertensive medication. METHODS: A total of 3,421 women and 897 men within 388 small work units completed a questionnaire concerning psychological working conditions according to the job strain model. Mean levels of psychological demands and decision latitude were computed for each work unit to obtain exposure measures that were less influenced by reporting bias. Dispensed antihypertensive medication prescriptions were identified in The Danish National Prescription Registry. Odds ratios (OR) comparing the highest and lowest third of the population at individual and work-unit level, respectively, were estimated by multilevel logistic regression adjusted for confounders. Psychological demands and decision latitude were tested for interaction. Supplementary analyses of 21 months follow-up were conducted. RESULTS: Among women, increasing psychological demands at individual (adjusted OR 1.54; 95 % CI 1.02-2.33) and work-unit level (adjusted OR 1.41; 95 % CI 1.04-1.90) was significantly associated with purchase of antihypertensive medication. No significant association was found for decision latitude. Follow-up results supported an association with psychological demands but they were not significant. All results for men showed no association. Psychological demands and decision latitude did not interact. CONCLUSION: High psychological work demands were associated with the purchase of prescribed antihypertensive medication among women. This effect was present on both the work-unit and the individual level. Among men there were no associations. The lack of interaction between psychological demands and decision latitude did not support the job strain model.
Subject(s)
Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/psychology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Workplace/psychology , Adult , Decision Making , Denmark/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Hypertension/drug therapy , Hypertension/psychology , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Registries , Sex Distribution , Smoking/epidemiology , Surveys and Questionnaires , WorkABSTRACT
Panic disorder (PD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks with a lifetime prevalence of 4.7%. Genetic factors are known to contribute to the development of the disorder. Several lines of evidence point towards a major role of the norepinephrine system in the pathogenesis of PD. The SLC6A2 gene is located on chromosome 16q12.2 and encodes the norepinephrine transporter (NET), responsible for the reuptake of norepinephrine into presynaptic nerve terminals. The aim of the present study was to analyze genetic variants located within the NET gene for association with PD. The case-control sample consisted of 449 patients with PD and 279 ethnically matched controls. All cases fulfilled the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for PD. Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom platform (Sequenom, Inc, San Diego, USA). To test for allelic and haplotypic association, the PLINK software was used, and COMBASSOC was applied to test for gene-wise association. After quality control 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the gene-region were successfully analyzed. Seven SNPs located within the 5' end of the gene were significantly associated with PD. Furthermore, the NET gene showed overall evidence for association with the disease (P = 0.000035). In conclusion, the present study indicates that NET could be a susceptibility gene for PD.
