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Background Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, there is no related data on the association of baPWVwith coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP). We explored the baPWV in subjects withCWP and the associated risk factors. Methods Thiscase-control study included 1,007 male CWP cases without a history of stroke and coronary heart disease and 1,007 matched controls from the Kailuan cohort study. All of the participants underwent assessment for baPWV and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The cumulative silica dust exposure (work history linked to a job-exposure matrix) was estimated for the CWP cases. Results Compared with the controls, the CWP cases had higher baPWV (1762.0 ± 355 cm/s vs. 1718.6 ± 354 cm/s, P = 0.006) and a higher risk of increased baPWV (defined as more than the median baPWV of the population distribution; odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.11–1.83) after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Age ≥60 years, body mass index, heart rate, and hypertension were all significantly associated with increased baPWV in the CWP cases. Compared to non-CWP subjects without hypertension, the odds ratios for increased baPWV gradually increased (P for trend, 0.001) across the CWP subjects without hypertension (odds ratio 1.20, 95%confidence interval 0.90–1.61), subjects with hypertension alone (odds ratio 2.54, 95% confidence interval 1.95–3.30), and CWP subjects with hypertension (odds ratio 3.34, 95% confidence interval 2.56–4.37). We detected a significant positive exposure-response relationship between silica dust-exposure quartiles and increased baPWV in CWP cases (P for trend

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in the incidence characteristics of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) based on data from four large state-owned colliery groups of China, by comparing the cumulative incidence rates of CWP. We investigated 87,904 coal workers from the Datong, Kailuan, Fuxin, and Tiefa Colliery Groups, who were exposed to dust for at least 1 year. The cumulative incidence rate of CWP was calculated with the life-table method and stratified analysis among coal workers with different occupational categories during different years of first dust exposure. Our results showed the cumulative incidence rate of Datong was higher than that of any other colliery group among workers with different occupational categories during different years of first dust exposure. For Datong workers who started their dust exposure in the 1970s, the cumulative incidence rates of CWP among tunneling, mining, combining, and helping workers were 34.77%, 10.20%, 34.59%, and 4.91% during the observed time of 34 years, respectively. For those in the 1980s, the cumulative incidence rates were 32.29%, 13.51%, 2.98%, and 0.47%, respectively. The cumulative incidence rates of Fuxin and Tiefa were the lowest. In conclusion, the Datong colliery has the highest cumulative incidence rate of CWP among the four studied collieries, followed by Kailuan. The cumulative incidence rates of Fuxin and Tiefa were the lowest. Additional dust-proofing measures for decreasing dust concentrations are still necessary.

Limited studies have examined the associations between air pollutants [particles with diameters of 10 μm or less (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)] and fasting blood glucose (FBG). We collected data for 27,685 participants who were followed during 2006 and 2008. Generalized Estimating Equation models were used to examine the effects of air pollutants on FBG while controlling for potential confounders. We found that increased exposure to NO2, SO2 and PM10 was significantly associated with increased FBG levels in single pollutant models (p

Background Prior to 1970, coal mining technology and prevention measures in China were poor. Mechanized coal mining equipment and advanced protection measures were continuously installed in the mines after 1970. All these improvements may have resulted in a change in the incidence of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP). Therefore, it is important to identify the characteristics of CWP today and trends for the incidence of CWP in the future. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 17,023 coal workers from the Kailuan Colliery Group were studied. A life-table method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of CWP and predict the number of new CWP patients in the future. The probability of developing CWP was estimated by a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network for each coal worker without CWP. The results showed that the cumulative incidence rates of CWP for tunneling, mining, combining, and helping workers were 31.8%, 27.5%, 24.2%, and 2.6%, respectively, during the same observation period of 40 years. It was estimated that there would be 844 new CWP cases among 16,185 coal workers without CWP within their life expectancy. There would be 273.1, 273.1, 227.6, and 69.9 new CWP patients in the next

Background Air pollution has been identified as a terrible environmental problem in China. However, no study has systematically assessed whether air pollution has adverse effects on human physiological function. Methods This study was based on longitudinal data collected by the Kailuan Cohort Study, which was conducted in the area of Kailuan community, Tangshan City, China. 11 hospitals were responsible for the health care of the community. We only used cohort data between 2006 and 2008, as we only had these two years' air pollution data. We assessed each participant twice with a standardised questionnaire assessment, health examination, and laboratory assessment. The health examination and laboratory assessment included heart function, renal function, haematopoietic function, metabolic endocrine function, liver function, and inflammatory response function. The questionnaire collected individual characteristics (age, sex, weight, height, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, dietary salt intake, financial income, work type, education level, and medical history, etc). Community level of daily concentrations of particles (PM 10 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) was provided by the Tangshan Environmental Monitoring Centre. We used generalised additive mixed models to examine the effects of community level of daily air pollutants on physiological function, while controlling for random effects of participants and other potential confounders. This study was approved by the University of Queensland's behaviour and social sciences ethical review committee (2014001075). Written informed consent was obtained for each participant. Findings Out of the 155 418 residents, 101 510 (65·31%; 81 110 (82%) men and 20 400 women) who provided a written informed consent, were enrolled in the Kailuan study since 2006. We followed up 27 685 participants twice between 2006 and 2008. Age ranged from 18 to 90 years, with mean of 47 years (SD 11·3). About 60% of the participants were not smokers or drinkers in 2006. The prevalence of diabetes was 7·7% in 2006, and 20·9% of participants had a history of hypertension. Increased concentrations of PM 10 , SO 2 , and NO 2 were significantly associated with decreases in all categories of physiological function, such as increase in heart rate and blood pressure (heart function), increase in urine creatinine and urea (renal function), decrease in haemoglobin and white blood cell (hematopoietic function), increase in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and the ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein (metabolic endocrine function), increase in serum albumin, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, and total bilirubin (liver function), and increase in C-reactive protein (inflammatory response function). Generally, elderly people, women, and people who were overweight were more susceptible to air pollution than young people, men, and people who were normal weight. Interpretation Air pollution could systemically damage human physiological function. Effective air pollution control is essential for disease prevention. We used community level of air pollution to estimate individual exposures rather than personal air pollution exposure data. This may underestimate the effects of air pollutants on physiological function. Funding University of Queensland Research Fellowship (YG). No funding bodies had any role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.