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Truck drivers and heart disease in the United States, 1979-1990.

Robinson CF; Burnett CA

Am J Epidemiol 2002 Jun; 155(11)(Suppl):S77

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/supplements.dtl

20033700

Studies of truck drivers and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are limited, although studies of other professional drivers reported increased risk for CVD and its risk factors. Mortality due to cardiovascular disease among truck drivers was evaluated using data from the National Occupational Mortality Study, consisting of all deaths occurring in 28 states between 1979 and 1990. A single industry and occupation, recorded on the death certificate, coded by trained coders in state health departments was used in the study. Annual, gender-, race-, and age, specific mortality data from 1979-1990 were used to calculate proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) for short haul truck driver, (less than 3 tons, light city driving) and long haul truck drivers (more than 3 tons, heavy driving) age 15-90 using the NIOSH lifetable program. Analysis was performed for black (998 short haul and 13,241 long haul) truck drivers and white (4,929 short and 74,315 long haul) truck drivers separately. Significantly elevated heart disease mortality was found for white, long haul truck drivers age 15-54: ischemic heart disease. (IHD): PMR=109, 95% CI (106-112) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI): PMR=112, 95% CI (108-116). For black, long haul drivers age 15-54, significantly elevated mortality was observed for IHD: PMR=110 (101-121); AMI : PMR=114, 95% CI (101-128); and other heart disease PMR=123, 95% CI (111-136). Mortality was not significantly elevated for short haul truck drivers of either race of sex, nor for any truck drivers who died after age 65. We recommend that further studies of potentially cardiotoxic occupational exposures and their prevention be pursued for long haul truck drivers.

Smoking; Cigarette-smoking; Truck-drivers; Trucking; Heart; Cardiovascular-system-disease; Cardiovascular-system-disorders; Cardiovascular-disease; Cardiac-function; Cardiopulmonary-function; Cardiopulmonary-system; Cardiopulmonary-system-disorders; Lung-cancer; Lung-disease; Lung-disorders; Respiratory-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Mortality-data; Mortality-rates; Epidemiology; Statistical-analysis; Demographic-characteristics; Age-factors; Age-groups; Racial-factors; Sex-factors

AJEPAS

20020601

Abstract

2002

11

0002-9262

DSHEFS

American Journal of Epidemiology

OH