Occupational noise exposure linked to increased arthritis risk, suggests study

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-05-23T20:00:18+05:30 | Updated On 24 May 2024 12:19 PM IST

A recent study published in the BMC Public Health unveiled a previously overlooked connection between the occupational noise exposure and the prevalence of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

The study led by Zhounan Wu and team utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and analyzed information from 2005 to 2012 and pre-pandemic data up to March 2020. This comprehensive analysis assessed the impact of workplace noise on the development of arthritis in real-world scenarios.

The findings involved over 11,000 participants which revealed a significant association between occupational noise exposure and both RA and OA. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, individuals with a history of exposure to workplace noise had a higher risk of self-reported RA (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.18–1.73) and OA (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.07–1.46).

This study also observed a correlation between the duration of occupational noise exposure and the risk of developing RA. While there was a noticeable increase in odds for prevalent RA among the individuals who were exposed for one year or more, the analysis did not reveal a clear exposure-response relationship for durations exceeding one year. Also, subgroup analyses unveiled a significant interaction between age and occupational noise exposure in regard to the prevalence of OA which hints at the potential age-related factors that influences susceptibility to the condition.

The implications of these findings underscore the importance of considering occupational noise exposure as a potential risk factor for arthritis that adds to the growing body of research linking workplace conditions to broader health outcomes. The outcomes of this study caution towards the further investigations that is imperative to fully understand the mechanisms underlying these associations.

Reference:

Wu, Z., Liang, Y., Khan, A., & He, J. (2024). Is occupational noise associated with arthritis? Cross-sectional evidence from US population. In BMC Public Health (Vol. 24, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17897-0

BMC Public Healtharthritis riskOccupational noise exposure

Source : BMC Public Health

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751