Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program

Background Previously, Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program researchers reported that occupational exposure to pesticides was significantly associated with total mortality. The current study examines occupational exposure to pesticides in relation to incident cardiovascular disease, defined as coronary he...

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Main Authors: Zara K. Berg, Beatriz Rodriguez, James Davis, Alan R. Katz, Robert V. Cooney, Kamal Masaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-10-01
Series:Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012569
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author Zara K. Berg
Beatriz Rodriguez
James Davis
Alan R. Katz
Robert V. Cooney
Kamal Masaki
author_facet Zara K. Berg
Beatriz Rodriguez
James Davis
Alan R. Katz
Robert V. Cooney
Kamal Masaki
author_sort Zara K. Berg
collection DOAJ
description Background Previously, Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program researchers reported that occupational exposure to pesticides was significantly associated with total mortality. The current study examines occupational exposure to pesticides in relation to incident cardiovascular disease, defined as coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular accident. Methods and Results With the Occupational Safety Health Administration exposure scale used as an estimate of exposure, statistical analyses were performed on a cohort of 7557 Japanese‐American men from the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program. Hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease incidence were calculated for various levels of pesticide exposure using Cox proportional hazards models. In the first 10 years of follow‐up, a positive association was observed between age‐adjusted cardiovascular disease incidence and high levels of pesticide exposure (hazard ratio=1.46, 95% CI=1.10‐1.95, P=0.009). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for other cardiovascular disease risk factors (hazard ratio=1.42, 95% CI=1.05‐1.92, P=0.021). No significant association for coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular accident incidence with pesticide exposure was observed when examined separately, possibly due to a smaller number of events. Conclusions These findings suggest that occupational exposure to pesticides may play a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The results are novel, as the association between occupational exposure to pesticides and cardiovascular disease incidence has not been examined previously in this unique cohort.
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spelling doaj-art-b1893ce6232040abac653a7c604cd2bd2025-08-20T03:08:27ZengWileyJournal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease2047-99802019-10-0181910.1161/JAHA.119.012569Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart ProgramZara K. Berg0Beatriz Rodriguez1James Davis2Alan R. Katz3Robert V. Cooney4Kamal Masaki5Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine John A. Burns School of Medicine University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIDepartment of Geriatric Medicine John A. Burns School of Medicine University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIDepartment of Complementary and Integrative Medicine John A. Burns School of Medicine University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIOffice of Public Health Studies University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIOffice of Public Health Studies University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIDepartment of Geriatric Medicine John A. Burns School of Medicine University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HIBackground Previously, Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program researchers reported that occupational exposure to pesticides was significantly associated with total mortality. The current study examines occupational exposure to pesticides in relation to incident cardiovascular disease, defined as coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular accident. Methods and Results With the Occupational Safety Health Administration exposure scale used as an estimate of exposure, statistical analyses were performed on a cohort of 7557 Japanese‐American men from the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program. Hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease incidence were calculated for various levels of pesticide exposure using Cox proportional hazards models. In the first 10 years of follow‐up, a positive association was observed between age‐adjusted cardiovascular disease incidence and high levels of pesticide exposure (hazard ratio=1.46, 95% CI=1.10‐1.95, P=0.009). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for other cardiovascular disease risk factors (hazard ratio=1.42, 95% CI=1.05‐1.92, P=0.021). No significant association for coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular accident incidence with pesticide exposure was observed when examined separately, possibly due to a smaller number of events. Conclusions These findings suggest that occupational exposure to pesticides may play a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The results are novel, as the association between occupational exposure to pesticides and cardiovascular disease incidence has not been examined previously in this unique cohort.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012569cardiovascular diseasecerebrovascular accidentcoronary heart diseaseHonolulu Heart ProgramHonolulu‐Asia Aging Studyoccupational exposure
spellingShingle Zara K. Berg
Beatriz Rodriguez
James Davis
Alan R. Katz
Robert V. Cooney
Kamal Masaki
Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
cardiovascular disease
cerebrovascular accident
coronary heart disease
Honolulu Heart Program
Honolulu‐Asia Aging Study
occupational exposure
title Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
title_full Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
title_fullStr Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
title_full_unstemmed Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
title_short Association Between Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: The Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program
title_sort association between occupational exposure to pesticides and cardiovascular disease incidence the kuakini honolulu heart program
topic cardiovascular disease
cerebrovascular accident
coronary heart disease
Honolulu Heart Program
Honolulu‐Asia Aging Study
occupational exposure
url https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012569
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