Occupational physical activity predicts baseline and 8-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis among women

Relationship between cumulative exposure to occupational lifting throughout working life and risk of ischemic heart disease in men and women. The Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) causes mortality and morbidity. High levels of occupational physical activity (OPA) increases IHD risk, and occupational lifting (OL) is suggested as a detrimental OPA exposure. This study investigated the association between accumulated OL throughout working life, and risk for IHD, and potential sex and hypertension differences. Data from Copenhagen Ageing and Midlife Biobank linked to register-based information on incident IHD during 9 years follow-up in the Danish National Patient Registry were included. The outcome was the odds of IHD from baseline (2009-2011) to end of follow-up (2018), among participants without IHD at baseline. Accumulated OL was assessed by linking occupational codes to a Job Exposure Matrix, creating a measure in ton-years (lifting 1,000 kg/day/year). Multivariable logistic regression tested associations between level of accumulated OL and IHD, among the 6,606 included individuals (68% men). During follow-up, 7.3% men and 3.6% women were hospitalized with IHD. Among all participants, the odds for IHD were 47% (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05-2.06) higher among those with ≥5 to <10 ton-years, 39% (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.06-1.83) higher among those with ≥10 to <30 ton-years, and 62% (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.18-2.22) higher among those with ≥30 ton-years, compared to no accumulated OL. However, these increased odds were in the same direction in the fully-adjusted model but statistically insignificant, ≥5 to <10 ton-years OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.88-1.88; ≥10 to <30 ton-years OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.85-1.69; and ≥30 ton-years OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.81-1.84. No statistically significant interactions, nor any associations, between OL and sex, or hypertension were seen.

Occupational physical activity, all-cause mortality and incidence of cardiovascular diseases: results from three Italian cohorts

PURPOSE

To examine the association of exposure to Occupational Physical Activity (OPA) with all-cause mortality and incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

METHODS

The study population was composed of three Italian cohorts: a national cohort of employees participating in the National Health Survey 2005, followed-up until 2014 (ILS 2005), and two urban cohorts of employees resident in Turin at 2001 and 2011 censuses (TLS 2001 and TLS 2011, respectively), both followed-up until 2018. Follow-up was conducted through individual record-linkage with death registries and hospital admissions archives. Exposure to OPA was assigned through an Italian job-exposure matrix (JEM). Relative Risks of both CVD incidence and overall mortality associated with OPA quartiles (IRR) were estimated using Poisson regression models adjusted for socio-demographics and health, and in the national cohort, also for leisure time physical activity, BMI, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension.

RESULTS

Compared to the lowest quartile, the highest OPA quartile was associated in both genders with significantly increased mortality in TLS 2001 (IRR = 1.11 among men, IRR = 1.20 among women) and in TLS 2011 (IRR = 1.27 among men and IRR = 1.73 among women), whereas in the ILS 2005 cohort no association was found. Among women, high OPA was also associated with CVD risk in TLS 2001 and 2011 (IRR = 1.39 and IRR = 1.16 for the highest quartile, respectively), while in the ILS cohort in both genders only the third quartile showed a significantly higher risk.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that OPA does not have a beneficial effect on CVD and mortality, but rather suggest that it may produce deleterious health effects.