title: Comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly residing close to mine dumps in South Africa: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pollution arising from mine dumps in South Africa (SA) has been a source of concern to nearby communities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among elderly persons (≥55 years) was associated with proximity to mine dumps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elderly persons in communities 1 - 2 km (exposed) and ≥5 km (unexposed) from five preselected mine dumps in Gauteng and North West provinces in SA were included in a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposed elderly persons had a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases than those who were unexposed. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that living close to mine dumps was significantly associated with asthma + hyper- tension (odds ratio (OR) 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 - 2.28), asthma + pneumonia (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.04), emphysema + arrhythmia (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.07 - 1.77), emphysema + myocardial infarction (OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.73 - 2.54), emphysema + pneumonia (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.41 - 7.98), hypertension + myocardial infarction (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.04 - 2.44) and hypertension + pneumonia (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05 - 1.93).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detrimental associations between comorbidity of the health outcomes and proximity to mine dumps were observed among the elderly in SA.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa. vnkosi334@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nkosi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Voyi