Occupational exposures to solvents and lead as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a collaborative re-analysis of case-control studies. EURODEM Risk Factors Research Group.
A meta-analysis, involving the secondary analysis of original data from 11 case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease, is presented for occupational exposures to solvents and lead. Three studies had data on occupational exposure to solvents. Among cases, 21.3% were reported to have been exposed; among controls, this figure was comparable (20.9%). This yielded a pooled matched relative risk of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.47-1.23). Four studies had data on exposure to lead. Exposure frequencies were 6.1% in cases and 8.3% in controls. This resulted in a pooled matched relative risk of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.36-1.41). The meta-analysis was particularly useful in validating negative results from individual studies and in increasing the statistical power for the analysis of lead exposure, where stratum-specific cell sizes were frequently smaller than five in individual studies. However, since exposure in the various studies was ascertained in a rather broad manner, prospective studies are recommended which focus on high-risk occupational populations and which determine the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in these and comparable unexposed populations.
Graves
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AB
Health and Population Research Center, Battelle Seattle Research Center, Seattle, WA 98105.
van Duijn
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CM
Chandra
V
V
Fratiglioni
L
L
Heyman
A
A
Jorm
A F
AF
Kokmen
E
E
Kondo
K
K
Mortimer
J A
JA
Rocca
W A
WA
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012997:Solvents / Q000506:poisoning*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D012997:Solvents