title: [COPD in dairy farmers: screening, characterization and constitution of a cohort. The BALISTIC study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A pilot study from our group suggests that the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among dairy farmers is higher than in the general population although dairy workers are less frequently smokers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study presented here aims at (i) determining the prevalence of COPD in a large and representative population of dairy farmers; (ii) characterizing these patients in terms of smoking habits, dyspnoea, quality of life, lung function, bronchial exhaled nitric oxide, systemic inflammation, arterial stiffness and exercise capacity; (iii) comparing characteristics of dairy farmers' COPD with the characteristics of COPD in patients without any occupational exposure; (iv) identifying the etiological factors of COPD in dairy farmers; and (v) constituting a cohort of COPD patients and control subjects for further longitudinal studies. Two groups of COPD patients (dairy farmers or not) and two groups of controls subjects will be selected among a representative panel of 2000 dairy workers and 2000 subjects without any occupational exposure, all aged 40 to 75 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A better knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of COPD in dairy farmers should guide a specific strategy of prevention. The knowledge of the characteristics of COPD occurring in dairy farmers will help to define the therapeutic modalities that might be different compared with the therapeutic recommendations for COPD secondary to tobacco smoking.
authors.affiliation: Physiologie-explorations fonctionnelles, EA 3920, CHU Jean-Minjoz, Besançon cedex, France. bruno.degano@univ-fcomte.fr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Degano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouhaddi
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Laplante
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Botebol
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Annesi-Maesano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marescaux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thaon
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Regnard
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dalphin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001944:Breath Tests; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000453:epidemiology; D012107:Research Design; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide