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Interaction of asbestos, age, and cigarette smoking in producing radiographic evidence of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis

Journal Article · · Am. J. Med.; (United States)
; ; ; ;

The study of 3,472 chest x-rays from four populations with different levels of exposure to asbestos and with different cigarette smoking histories shows that smoking in the general population does not produce pulmonary fibrosis recognizable on chest radiography. In the general population of Michigan, the prevalence of a radiographic pattern of fibrosis was 0.5 percent in men and 0.0 percent in women. In a Long Beach, California census tract population, the prevalences were 3.7 percent for men and 0.6 percent for women. Similarly, cigarette smoking does not enhance fibrosis when the exposure to asbestos has been as light as that in households of shipyard workers. Asbestosis was recognized in 6.6 percent of 137 shipyard workers' wives who have never smoked and 7.6 percent of 132 who had ever smoked. Cigarette smoking and asbestos appear to be synergistic in those occupationally exposed to asbestos (as insulators), since 7.2 percent of 97 nonsmokers and 20.5 percent of 316 ever-smokers showed fibrosis. This apparent synergy was also found in shipyard workers up to age 70 with 31 percent of nonsmokers and 43.3 percent of ever-smokers having fibrosis. There were increases of approximately 10 percent in the prevalence of fibrosis in cigarette smokers and nonsmokers for each decade after age 40.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
OSTI ID:
5613896
Journal Information:
Am. J. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Med.; (United States) Vol. 3; ISSN AJMEA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AGE DEPENDENCE
ASBESTOS
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BODY
CALIFORNIA
COLLOIDS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISPERSIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION V
FIBROSIS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
LUNGS
MEDICINE
MICHIGAN
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POPULATIONS
RADIOLOGY
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
SOLS
SYNERGISM
TOBACCO SMOKES
USA