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Exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds through fish consumption and the incidence of osteoporotic fractures.

Wallin, Ewa LU ; Rylander, Lars LU orcid and Hagmar, Lars (2004) In Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 30(1). p.30-35
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Animal studies have shown that persistent organochlorine compounds (POC) impair normal bone metabolism and result in increased bone fragility. These findings may have health implications for POC-exposed human populations. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of POC-contaminated fish on the self-reported fracture incidence of Swedish fishermen and their wives. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to 2096 fishermen and 1602 fishermen's wives from the Swedish east (exposed) coast and 4584 fishermen and 4217 fishermen's wives from the west (unexposed) coast. Self-reported fractures, together with specified current fish consumption and information about potential confounders, were registered. The response rates... (More)
OBJECTIVES: Animal studies have shown that persistent organochlorine compounds (POC) impair normal bone metabolism and result in increased bone fragility. These findings may have health implications for POC-exposed human populations. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of POC-contaminated fish on the self-reported fracture incidence of Swedish fishermen and their wives. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to 2096 fishermen and 1602 fishermen's wives from the Swedish east (exposed) coast and 4584 fishermen and 4217 fishermen's wives from the west (unexposed) coast. Self-reported fractures, together with specified current fish consumption and information about potential confounders, were registered. The response rates varied between 50% and 59%. The age distributions of the nonrespondents and respondents were almost identical. Hip, vertebral, and wrist fractures were classified as osteoporotic. The fracture incidence rates for specific skeletal locations were based on allocated fractures and person-years under risk from the age of 25 years until the time of fracture or the end of follow-up. RESULTS: No differences in fracture incidence were observed between the east and west-coast cohorts. East-coast wives with more than one meal of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea per month had, however, an increased fracture incidence as compared with that of the east-coast wives who ate, at most, one such meal per month (age-adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.84). No such exposure-response association was found for the fishermen. CONCLUSIONS: The present study only minimally supports an association between POC exposure through contaminated fish and an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
volume
30
issue
1
pages
30 - 35
publisher
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
external identifiers
  • wos:000189278500004
  • pmid:15018026
  • scopus:1442326715
ISSN
0355-3140
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
556485ff-0f7f-447c-b434-05ec6ef37c24 (old id 121292)
alternative location
http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=762
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:28:27
date last changed
2022-04-15 20:19:16
@article{556485ff-0f7f-447c-b434-05ec6ef37c24,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVES: Animal studies have shown that persistent organochlorine compounds (POC) impair normal bone metabolism and result in increased bone fragility. These findings may have health implications for POC-exposed human populations. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of POC-contaminated fish on the self-reported fracture incidence of Swedish fishermen and their wives. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to 2096 fishermen and 1602 fishermen's wives from the Swedish east (exposed) coast and 4584 fishermen and 4217 fishermen's wives from the west (unexposed) coast. Self-reported fractures, together with specified current fish consumption and information about potential confounders, were registered. The response rates varied between 50% and 59%. The age distributions of the nonrespondents and respondents were almost identical. Hip, vertebral, and wrist fractures were classified as osteoporotic. The fracture incidence rates for specific skeletal locations were based on allocated fractures and person-years under risk from the age of 25 years until the time of fracture or the end of follow-up. RESULTS: No differences in fracture incidence were observed between the east and west-coast cohorts. East-coast wives with more than one meal of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea per month had, however, an increased fracture incidence as compared with that of the east-coast wives who ate, at most, one such meal per month (age-adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.84). No such exposure-response association was found for the fishermen. CONCLUSIONS: The present study only minimally supports an association between POC exposure through contaminated fish and an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures.}},
  author       = {{Wallin, Ewa and Rylander, Lars and Hagmar, Lars}},
  issn         = {{0355-3140}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{30--35}},
  publisher    = {{Finnish Institute of Occupational Health}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health}},
  title        = {{Exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds through fish consumption and the incidence of osteoporotic fractures.}},
  url          = {{http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=762}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}