Exposure to Total Hydrocarbons During Clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Risk of Heart Attack Across Five Years of Follow-up.

Exposure to Total Hydrocarbons During Clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Risk of Heart Attack Across Five Years of Follow-up. Am J Epidemiol. 2019 Jan 29;: Authors: Strelitz J, Sandler DP, Keil AP, Richardson DB, Heiss G, Gammon MD, Kwok RK, Stewart PA, Stenzel MR, Engel LS Abstract Exposure to total hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds from air pollution is associated with risk of coronary heart disease. Total hydrocarbon (THC) exposure from oil spills might similarly be associated, but no research has examined this. We assessed the relationship between THC exposure during the response and clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and heart attack risk among 24,375 oil spill workers enrolled in the Gulf Long-Term Follow-up Study. There were 312 first heart attacks (self-reported physician-diagnosed myocardial infarction, or fatal coronary heart disease) ascertained during the study period, 2010-2016. THC exposures were estimated using a job-exposure matrix incorporating self-reported activities and personal air measurements. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios, with inverse probability weights to account for confounding and censoring. Maximum THC levels >0.30 ppm were associated with heart attack risk, with a 1.8-fold risk for exposure ≥3.00 ppm vs <0.30 ppm [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.81(1.11, 2.95)]. The risk difference for highest vs. lowest THC ...
Source: Am J Epidemiol - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: Am J Epidemiol Source Type: research