title: Burnt sugarcane harvesting - cardiovascular effects on a group of healthy workers, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugarcane. Harvest is predominantly manual, exposing workers to health risks: intense physical exertion, heat, pollutants from sugarcane burning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Panel study to evaluate the effects of burnt sugarcane harvesting on blood markers and on cardiovascular system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight healthy male workers, living in the countryside of Brazil were submitted to blood markers, blood pressure, heart rate variability, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, sympathetic nerve activity evaluation and forearm blood flow measures (venous occlusion plethysmography) during burnt sugarcane harvesting and four months later while they performed other activities in sugar cane culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean participant age was 31 ± 6.3 years, and had worked for 9.8 ± 8.4 years on sugarcane work. Work during the harvest period was associated with higher serum levels of Creatine Kinase - 136.5 U/L (IQR: 108.5-216.0) vs. 104.5 U/L (IQR: 77.5-170.5), (p = 0.001); plasma Malondialdehyde-7.5 ± 1.4 µM/dl vs. 6.9 ± 1.0 µM/dl, (p = 0.058); Glutathione Peroxidase - 55.1 ± 11.8 Ug/Hb vs. 39.5 ± 9.5 Ug/Hb, (p<0.001); Glutathione Transferase- 3.4±1.3 Ug/Hb vs. 3.0 ± 1.3 Ug/Hb, (p = 0.001); and 24-hour systolic blood pressure - 120.1 ± 10.3 mmHg vs. 117.0 ± 10.0 mmHg, (p = 0.034). In cardiopulmonary exercise testing, rest-to-peak diastolic blood pressure increased by 11.12 mmHg and 5.13 mmHg in the harvest and non-harvest period, respectively. A 10 miliseconds reduction in rMSSD and a 10 burst/min increase in sympathetic nerve activity were associated to 2.2 and 1.8 mmHg rises in systolic arterial pressure, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Work in burnt sugarcane harvesting was associated with changes in blood markers and higher blood pressure, which may be related to autonomic imbalance.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Division - Heart Institute, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Maria Galvão
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terra-Filho
authors.forename: André Luis Pereira
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Giorgi
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grupi
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Negrão
authors.forename: Maria Urbana Pinto Brandão
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Rondon
authors.forename: Daniel Godoy
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marcourakis
authors.forename: Fabiana Almeida
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Alfésio Luís Ferreira
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Dirce Maria Trevisan
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zanetta
authors.forename: Ubiratan de Paula
authors.initials: Ude P
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001938:Brazil; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005080:Exercise Test; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D031786:Saccharum / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D013918:Thrombin Time
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D052638:Particulate Matter; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D003402:Creatine Kinase