title: Occupations with exposure to electromagnetic fields: a possible risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The authors present analyses of data from three independent clinical series and controls indicating an association between working in occupations with probable medium to high exposure to extremely low frequency (< 300 Hz) electromagnetic fields and sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Case-control analyses were carried out using data from patients examined at the following locations: the Department of Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, 1982-1985; the Koskela Hospital in Helsinki, 1977-1978; and the University of Southern California site of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, 1984-1993. The predominant occupations among medium (2-10 mG or > 10 mG intermittently) to high (> 10 mG or > 100 mG intermittently) exposed cases were seamstress, dressmaker, and tailor. The results appear to be independent of education, and the sex-combined odds ratios for the three series are quite homogeneous: 2.9, 3.1, and 3.0. The odds ratio for the three series analyzed together is 3.0 (p < 0.001), with a 95% confidence interval of 1.6-5.4. The odds ratio for women is 3.8 (p < 0.001), with a 95% confidence interval of 1.7-8.6. The most obvious, possibly etiologically relevant exposure is that of electromagnetic fields, which may have biologic plausibility because they may adversely influence calcium homeostasis and/or inappropriately activate immune system cells such as microglial cells, initiating events that result in neuronal degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Davanipour
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sulkava
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkinjuntti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wikstrom
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buckwalter
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004522:Educational Status; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class