LOSS OF LUNG-FUNCTION AMONG SHEET-METAL WORKERS - 10-YEAR STUDY

One hundred and twenty-two sheet metal workers in New England were exa mined over a 10-year interval for loss of pulmonary function and the d evelopment of asbestosis or asbestos-related pleural fibrosis. Regress ion models using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach we re created to investigate the relationship between exposure and pulmon ary function after adjusting for smoking status, age, height, and asbe stos-related x-ray changes. A history of shipyard work was a significa nt contributor to the loss of forced vital capacity (FVC). Among smoke rs, loss in forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1) also had a signif icant relationship to prior shipyard work. There was a borderline sign ificant relationship between percentage predicted FEV1 and cumulative years of asbestos exposure in smokers, as well as years-since-initial- exposure in never-smokers. This study supports previous findings of ob structive airway changes in asbestos-exposed workers and identifies sh ipboard work as an important predictor of loss in pulmonary function e ven years after shipyard exposure to asbestos has ceased. (C) 1997 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.