Rosell-Murphy MI, Abós-Herràndiz R, Olivella JT, Alberti-Casas C, Allas IG, Artés XM, Günther IK, Malet IG, Martínez RO, Canela-Soler J. Risk factors associated with asbestos-related diseases: a community-based case-control study.
BMC Public Health 2013;
13:723. [PMID:
23915043 PMCID:
PMC3750910 DOI:
10.1186/1471-2458-13-723]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Asbestos is a first level carcinogen. However, few epidemiological studies analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and follow up these conditions in the general population. Pleural mesothelioma, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres at work, at home or in the environment, is the most representative asbestos-related disease.The objectives of this study are to analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and to investigate the incidence of new clinical manifestations in patients already diagnosed with some form of ARD.
METHODS/DESIGN
We have designed a matched case-control study with follow up of both cohorts from a population of a health district of the Barcelona province that has been exposed to asbestos for a period of 90 years.
DISCUSSION
A better understanding of asbestos-related diseases should improve i) the clinical and epidemiological follow up of patients with this condition; ii) the design of new treatment strategies; iii) and the development of preventive activities. At the end of the study, the two cohorts created in this study (affected cases and healthy controls) will constitute the basis for future research.
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