Mortality in the Baltimore union poultry cohort: non-malignant diseases

Association between butchers and cancer mortality and incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In this study, we evaluated whether increased risks of mortality and cancer incidence exist among butchers worldwide. To achieve this goal, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the correlations of the risks of cancer death and incidence with male and female butchers.

METHODS

We obtained data by performing a comprehensive literature search in several databases for eligible studies published before March 2017. Multivariable-adjusted standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and odds ratio (OR), as well as associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and those by subgroups, were extracted and pooled.

RESULTS

A total of 17 observational studies comprising 397,726 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The butcher occupation was not associated with all-cancer mortality risk, with pooled overall SMRs of 1.07 (95% CI 0.96-1.20). However, the pooled ORs revealed that butchers hold an elevated risk of total cancer incidence (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.33-1.73). No proof of publication bias was obtained, and the findings were consistent in the subgroup analyses.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that working as butchers did not significantly influence all-cancer mortality risk but significantly contributed to elevated all-cancer incidence risk. Nevertheless, well-designed observational studies on this topic are necessary to confirm and update our findings.

Association between dietary meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: the EPIC-InterAct study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

A diet rich in meat has been reported to contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes. The present study aims to investigate the association between meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes in the EPIC-InterAct study, a large prospective case-cohort study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

METHODS

During 11.7 years of follow-up, 12,403 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were identified among 340,234 adults from eight European countries. A centre-stratified random subsample of 16,835 individuals was selected in order to perform a case-cohort design. Prentice-weighted Cox regression analyses were used to estimate HR and 95% CI for incident diabetes according to meat consumption.

RESULTS

Overall, multivariate analyses showed significant positive associations with incident type 2 diabetes for increasing consumption of total meat (50 g increments: HR 1.08; 95% CI 1.05, 1.12), red meat (HR 1.08; 95% CI 1.03, 1.13) and processed meat (HR 1.12; 95% CI 1.05, 1.19), and a borderline positive association with meat iron intake. Effect modifications by sex and class of BMI were observed. In men, the results of the overall analyses were confirmed. In women, the association with total and red meat persisted, although attenuated, while an association with poultry consumption also emerged (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07, 1.34). These associations were not evident among obese participants.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

This prospective study confirms a positive association between high consumption of total and red meat and incident type 2 diabetes in a large cohort of European adults.

A cohort mortality study of workers in a soup manufacturing plant

There has been no study of disease risk or exposures in workers in soup manufacturing plants. These workers may have hazardous exposures to biological and chemical cancer-causing agents at the workplace. The authors report here on mortality in 1,779 workers from a plant in Baltimore, Maryland. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were estimated using the US population for comparison. Significantly increased mortality was observed for cancer of the floor of the mouth, colon cancer, epilepsy, and chronic nephritis in certain groups. Significantly decreased SMRs were observed for some causes. The findings are important, given the complete absence of data on this occupational group. It is not known whether the associations observed are related to occupational or nonoccupational exposures, or due to chance. The findings do, however, indicate that further studies of this occupational group are warranted.

Cancer and noncancer mortality among American seafood workers

Background

Few studies have investigated mortality in seafood workers worldwide, and no such study has been conducted in the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate mortality in American seafood workers.

Methods

The study population was derived from 4 states and consisted of 4116 subjects who worked mainly in seafood processing plants. They were followed up from 1966 to 2003. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) were estimated, using the US general population for comparison.

Results

About 45% of the cohort was born after 1949. A total of 788 deaths were recorded; 53% of the decedents were female, and 88% were white. The SMRs for stomach cancer and disorders of the thyroid gland in the cohort as a whole were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–3.8) and 6.1 (95% CI 1.3–18.0), respectively. The SMRs for breast cancer, and occlusion/stenosis of the pre-cerebral/cerebral arteries in the cohort as a whole were 0.5 (95% CI, 0.3–0.9) and 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2–0.8), respectively. The SMR for ischemic heart disease in white females was 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6–0.9).

Conclusions

This cohort had excess deaths from stomach cancer and disorders of the thyroid gland, and deficit of deaths from breast cancer, stroke and ischemic heart disease. The significance of these findings is unknown, especially as less than 20% of the cohort were deceased. Nevertheless, the cohort is unique and important, and further follow-up may shed more light on mortality patterns in this occupational group.

Non-cancer mortality in poultry slaughtering/processing plant workers belonging to a union pension fund

BACKGROUND

The role of the biological environment in the occurrence of many chronic human diseases has been little studied. Humans are commonly exposed to transmissible agents that infect and cause a wide variety of subacute and chronic diseases in chickens and turkeys. The objective of this study is to investigate whether these agents cause similar diseases in humans, by studying workers in poultry slaughtering and processing plants who have one of the highest human exposures to these agents.

METHODS

Mortality in poultry workers was compared with that in the United States general population through the estimation of standardized mortality ratios.

RESULTS

Excess mortality from infectious and parasitic diseases was observed in the poultry workers. In addition, excess occurrences of deaths involving several sites of the cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems, were observed, although the numbers involved were few in some instances.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that poultry workers are at increased risk of dying from certain causes of death, including infections. This is consistent with other reports. Although it is possible that occupational exposure to transmissible agents present in poultry may be one of the causes of the excess occurrence of some of these diseases, other factors that were not considered because of the nature of the study design, could be equally important. Also, the small number of deaths involved in some instances calls for caution in interpreting the results. However, the study is important, as it has succeeded in newly identified areas that need further research, and which may have implications not only for workers, but also for the general population.

Update of cancer and non-cancer mortality in the Missouri poultry cohort

BACKGROUND

workers in poultry slaughtering and processing plants have one of the highest human exposures to transmissible agents that cause cancer and other diseases in chickens and turkeys, and also have other occupational carcinogenic exposures. The general population is also exposed to these transmissible agents.

METHODS

we investigated mortality in workers who belong to a poultry union in Missouri, and estimated standardized mortality ratios.

RESULTS

significantly increased mortality was observed for some leukemias, benign neoplasms, thyroid diseases, bacterial infections, and schizophrenic disorders. The risk of breast cancer and several non-cancer conditions was significantly depressed.

CONCLUSION

the findings add to the growing evidence suggesting that workers occupationally exposed to transmissible agents and carcinogens in the poultry industry, are at increased risk of dying from certain chronic diseases, including cancer.