Occupational Exposure

Higher levels of crystalline silica were found in the lung tissue of contemporary coal miners in the U.S. compared with the lung tissue of previous generations of coal miners, researchers reported in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Firefighters who responded to a higher number of fires per year had a significantly greater risk for developing atrial fibrillation than those who responded to fewer fires, according to a recent study.

Exposure to high concentrations of fine particulate matter from a coal mine fire over a 6-week period was associated with an increased risk for COPD in nonsmokers nearly 4 years later, researchers reported.

Cumulative occupational exposure to pesticides was associated with increased risk for COPD, according to new findings published in Thorax.

The Healio Editors compiled a list of the most-read COPD news published in 2021.

Among patients with systemic sclerosis, occupational exposure to toxicants independently predicted decline in lung function, regardless of sex, researchers reported in Chest.

November 17 is World COPD Day, which aims to raise awareness of COPD worldwide.

A new study in Chest highlights a decrease in the global burden of asthma from 1990 to 2019, but prevalence of asthma continues to increase in regions with lower socioeconomic development.

Female nurses who worked in the operating rooms for 15 years or more had an increased risk for developing COPD compared with nurses who never worked in an OR, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.

Mothers exposed to cleaning products on the job before or around the time of conception and pregnancy were more likely to have offspring with asthma or wheeze, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.