ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS LEADING TO CARDIAC MALFUNCTION AMONG TEXTILE WORKERS

Abstract

Background: In the Registrar General’s Decennial Supplement for 1951, bronchitis and myocardial degeneration were both responsible for excessive mortality among cotton spinners and chronic rheumatic disease was an important, although relatively rare, cause of death for cotton weavers. Aim of the work: The present study designed to investigate the environmental indicators and risk factors in textile workers that increase risk of cardiac malfunction and personal conventional risk factors in textile workers that increase risk of cardiac malfunction. In addition, the most susceptible persons to cardiac malfunction among the exposed workers in textile job to avoid exposure as preventive measures. Subjects and methods: A cross sectional study that included workers in textile companies mainly the most exposed persons to environmental and conventional risk factors. Subjects were divided into two groups: Group A: included subjects exposed to risk factors insides textile departments [included 120 subjects who fulfilled inclusion criteria]; Group B: included non-exposed subjects in the other departments, as a control group [included 120 subjects]. Inclusion criteria included the following: male subject, age more than 30 years, work period inside factor is more than 5 years and control group not exposed to textile risk factors before. All cases were underwent full history taking, clinical evaluation, laboratory evaluation and ECG examination. Results: There was significant increase of known environmental risk factors(chemical and physical), past history of medical risk factors, smoking, blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile and ECG abnormalities in study group, when compared to control group. On the other hand, there was insignificant difference between cases and controls as regard age, marital state, BMI, random blood sugar, alcohol drinking or duration of work. Conclusion: There is an association between environmental risk factors and development of cardio-vascular disease; and it can be explained by that: environmental risk especially noise and temperature variations leads to increased traditional risk factors of CVD and subsequently development of the disease.