Tom Koeman1, Leo J Schouten2, Piet A van den Brandt2, Pauline Slottje1, Anke Huss1, Susan Peters3, Hans Kromhout1, Roel Vermeulen1,4. 1. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht. 2. Department of Epidemiology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht. 3. Occupational Respiratory Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. 4. Julius Centre for Public Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Occupational exposures may be associated with non-vascular dementia. METHODS: We analyzed the effects of occupational exposures to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF), electrical shocks, and diesel motor exhaust on non-vascular dementia related mortality in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Exposures were assigned using job-exposure matrices. After 17.3 years of follow-up, 682 male and 870 female cases were available. Analyses were performed using Cox regression. RESULTS: Occupational exposure to metals, chlorinated solvents and ELF-MF showed positive associations with non-vascular dementia among men, which seemed driven by metals (hazard ratio ever high vs. background exposure: 1.35 [0.98-1.86]). Pesticide exposure showed statistically significant, inverse associations with non-vascular dementia among men. We found no associations for shocks, aromatic solvents, and diesel motor exhaust. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent positive associations were found between occupational exposure to metals and non-vascular dementia. The finding on pesticides is not supported in the overall literature.
BACKGROUND: Occupational exposures may be associated with non-vascular dementia. METHODS: We analyzed the effects of occupational exposures to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF), electrical shocks, and diesel motor exhaust on non-vascular dementia related mortality in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Exposures were assigned using job-exposure matrices. After 17.3 years of follow-up, 682 male and 870 female cases were available. Analyses were performed using Cox regression. RESULTS: Occupational exposure to metals, chlorinated solvents and ELF-MF showed positive associations with non-vascular dementia among men, which seemed driven by metals (hazard ratio ever high vs. background exposure: 1.35 [0.98-1.86]). Pesticide exposure showed statistically significant, inverse associations with non-vascular dementia among men. We found no associations for shocks, aromatic solvents, and diesel motor exhaust. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent positive associations were found between occupational exposure to metals and non-vascular dementia. The finding on pesticides is not supported in the overall literature.