CARBON-DISULFIDE .3. RISK-FACTORS FOR CORONARY HEART-DISEASES IN WORKERS IN THE VISCOSE INDUSTRY

To evaluate risk factors for coronary heart disease and factors which can influence the course of acute myocardial infarction in workers exp osed to CS2 we performed a cross-sectional study of 247 workers in the viscose industry. The control group of 222 men from the same plant wa s comparable for age, social status and physical work. The CS2 exposur e determined by personal air sampling ranged from < 0.2 ppm to 65.7 pp m (median: 4.0 ppm) and the duration of exposure ranged from 4 to 220 (median: 66) months. Using a multiple linear regression model we found neither higher blood pressure at rest or after exercise, nor hyperlip oproteinaemia in a higher degree, nor lower high-density lipoprotein ( HDL) or lower apolipoprotein A-I levels, nor higher blood glucose valu es, nor indicators of direct cardiotoxic effects or signs of disturban ces in blood coagulation in the exposed group in comparison to control s. Regarding the influence of chronic exposure on the investigated par ameters, we found an inverse correlation of the cumulative exposure (m ean CS2 exposure in the department multiplied by the duration of work in this department) with the HDL concentration. The HDL levels correla ted with the duration but not with the intensity of exposure. In the s ame way the apolipoprotein A-I levels showed a negative association wi th the duration of exposure in the exposed group as well as in the con trol group. The HDL concentrations showed the same trend for the contr ols. It therefore seems that this finding is more likely due to confou nding factors than to the CS2 exposure. As all subjects (exposed and c ontrols) have done shift work, in some cases for a long time, this kin d of work could be responsible for the negative relationship between t he duration of employment as a shift worker and the apolipoprotein A-I and HDL levels. At the current air-borne levels no significant differ ences were found between the exposed persons and the controls in the d istribution frequency for blood pressure values, lipoproteins, blood g lucose, blood coagulation and indicators of direct cardiotoxic effects .