Ischaemic heart disease among workers in occupations associated with heavy lifting.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a hypothesized positive association between employment in occupations where heavy lifting is likely to occur, and the risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD).


METHODS
Male blue-collar workers from Denmark (N = 516,180) were monitored with respect to hospital treatment or death due to IHD, through national registers over the years 2001-2010. Poisson regression was used to estimate relative rates of IHD between "workers in occupations which, according to an expert opinion, are likely to involve heavy lifting" and "other blue-collar workers." Prevalent cases were excluded from the analysis.


RESULTS
The rate ratio was estimated at 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94-1.00) for deaths or hospitalizations due to IHD and 1.07 (95% CI: 0.94-1.21) for deaths due to IHD.


CONCLUSIONS
The results do not support the hypothesis that occupational heavy lifting is an important risk factor for IHD.
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark (Department of Occupational Health). hha@nrcwe.dk.
Harald
H
Hannerz
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark (Department of Occupational Health). aho@nrcwe.dk.
Andreas
A
Holtermann
D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
cardiovascular disease; cohort studies; heavy lifting; hospital treatment; mortality; occupational epidemiology