INCREASED CARDIOPULMONARY DISEASE RISK IN A COMMUNITY-BASED SAMPLE WITH CHEMICAL ODOR INTOLERANCE - IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMENS HEALTH AND HEALTH-CARE UTILIZATION

Chemical intolerance, or reported illness from odors of common environ mental chemicals (e.g., car exhaust, pesticides), is emerging as an im portant environmental and public health-care issue. Epidemiologic meth ods provide relevant heuristic devices for studies of complex disorder s, such as chemical intolerance. The authors examined personal and rep orted parental cardiopulmonary disease prevalence rates in a community sample of chemically intolerant and control individuals. A county gov ernment (Tucson, Arizona) employee and kin subset (N = 181; 113 househ olds) completed standard health questionnaires. investigators determin ed chemical intolerance (n = 41/181) from self-reports of individuals who felt ''moderately'' to ''severely'' ill from exposure to at least three of five chemicals (i.e., car exhaust, pesticides, paint, new car pet, and perfume) on a Chemical Odor Intolerance Index. The authors ch ose the control group (n = 57/181) on the basis of self-reports of ''n ever'' feeling ill on the Chemical Odor Intolerance Index. The chemica lly intolerant group, which primarily comprised women (78% versus 51% of controls, p < .05), was significantly more likely to report-and to have sought-medical attention for heart problems, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia. Reports of heart problems in the chemically intolerant index cases and the occurrence of heart disease in both of their paren ts were significant (Fisher's p < .05). The chemically intolerant indi viduals were also significantly more likely to report maternal histori es of chest problems (e,g., inhalant allergens, tuberculosis) than con trols. The findings of the study suggested that the chemically intoler ant individuals (a preponderance of whom were women [sex-related risk] ) were move likely to have (a) reported cardiopulmonary problems (i.e. , greater health risk); (b) actively sought medical care for these pro blems (i.e., increased medical utilization); and (c) reported more par ental illnesses-particularly heart disease, asthma, and diabetes (i.e. , genetic risk). Additional community-based studies of chemical intole rance are needed.