What we truly know about occupation as a risk factor for ALS: A critical and systematic review

@article{Sutedja2009WhatWT,
  title={What we truly know about occupation as a risk factor for ALS: A critical and systematic review},
  author={Nadia A. Sutedja and Kathelijn Fischer and Jan Herman Veldink and Geert J.M.G. van der Heijden and Hans Kromhout and Dick J.J. Heederik and Mark H. B. Huisman and John H. J. Wokke and Leonard H. van den Berg},
  journal={Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis},
  year={2009},
  volume={10},
  pages={295 - 301}
}
Occupational and environmental exposures may contribute to the risk of developing sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To summarize the available evidence, a systematic review of the literature on occupation as a potential determinant of ALS was performed according to the MOOSE guidelines. From MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases, selected studies were methodologically appraised according to Armon's classification system for ALS risk factor studies. Each occupation studied… 
View on Taylor & Francis
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
103 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
2
Background Citations
36
Methods Citations
3
Results Citations
3

103 Citations

A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies of the Association Between Chronic Occupational Exposure to Lead and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Previous exposure to lead may be a risk factor for ALS, and the risk of developing ALS among individuals with a history of exposure toLead was almost doubled and the attributable risk of ALS was estimated to be 5%.

Study of occupation and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Danish cohort

Various occupations with exposure to toxicants, such as diesel exhaust and lead, and strenuous physical activity associated with increased odds of ALS in men are shown.

Physical activity, and physical activity related to sports, leisure and occupational activity as risk factors for ALS: A systematic review

Occupational exposures and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Several occupations and occupational exposures that may be associated with the risk of ALS in Sweden are identified and several were associated with ALS risk overall.

Population-based study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and occupational lead exposure in Denmark

An association between consistently higher occupational Pb exposures and ALS is indicated, which support those of previously reported associations between ALS and specific occupations that commonly experience Pb exposure.

Occupations and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: are jobs exposed to the general public at higher risk?

The study results indicate that ALS risk may be increased by previous employment in occupations implying direct contact with the general public, in particular customers.

Exogenous risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This study fulfilled the predefined criteria for a population-based case-control study to yield class I evidence on exogenous risk factors in sporadic ALS; a large number of newly diagnosed patients using multiple sources of cases ascertainment and with a diagnosis of ALS made applying established criteria.

Environmental and Occupational Exposures and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in New England

This study contributes to a growing body of literature implicating occupational- and hobby-related toxicant exposures in ALS etiology, and identifies increases in the risk of ALS associated with frequent participation in water sports, particularly waterskiing.

Environmental and occupational exposures and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS ) in New England

A case-control study of ALS among residents of New England evaluated environmental and occupational exposures as risk factors for sporadic ALS and identified increases in the risk of ALS associated with frequent participation in water sports, particularly water-skiing.

Risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis : Lifestyle, environment and genetics

It is shown that ALS has a complex etiology in which multiple genetic (and most probably also lifestyle and environmental) factors co-occur to cause ALS, and Co-occurring repeat expansions in C9orf72 and NIPA1 were identified.
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 82 REFERENCES

An Evidence-Based Medicine Approach to the Evaluation of the Role of Exogenous Risk Factors in Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Evidence supported the conclusion that the following were probably not risk factors for ALS: trauma, physical activity, residence in rural areas and alcohol consumption, and evidence in support of smoking being a probable (‘more likely than not’) risk factor for ALS.

Prospective study of occupation and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mortality.

Results, which suggest that male programmers and laboratory technicians and female machine assemblers may be at increased risk of death from ALS, should be interpreted cautiously, however, because they are based on small numbers.

Occupational exposures and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A population-based case-control study.

Findings suggest an association between ALS and agricultural chemicals in men, based on the panel's assessment of exposures to metals and solvents.

Risk factors in the early diagnosis of ALS: North American epidemiological studies. ALS CARE Study Group.

  • B. Brooks
  • Medicine
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron disorders : official publication of the World Federation of Neurology, Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases
  • 2000
No significant difference was found in the median time to diagnose sporadic ALS patients compared with familial ALS patients, and occupation as a pilot or navigator has recently been identified as a potential risk factor, which will need to be confirmed.

Risk factors in the early diagnosis of ALS: North American epidemiological studies

Patient-specific and population-specific risk factor analysis is identifying novel physical and chemical exposures which might be time-linked to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases.

Lead Exposure and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

A potential role for lead exposure in the etiology of ALS is suggested using both biological measures and interviews in a case-control study conducted in New England from 1993 to 1996.

Risk factors in the early diagnosis of ALS: European epidemiological studies

  • A. Chiò
  • Medicine
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron disorders : official publication of the World Federation of Neurology, Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases
  • 2000
ALS seems to be a uniform problem across Europe, with age-specific incidence rates showing a progressive increase up to the 70–79 age group, and no consistent epidemiological clues concerning the cause of ALS have been found in epidemiological studies.

Risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and history of physical activity: a population-based case-control study.

A history of physical activity has little, if any, effect on the risk of ALS.

Education and occupations preceding Parkinson disease

Subjects with higher education and physicians have an increased risk of Parkinson disease (PD), while subjects with some occupations presumed to involve high physical activity have a decreased risk of PD.

Risk factors for motor neuron disease: a case-control study based on patients from the Scottish Motor Neuron Disease Register.

A case-control study of incident patients in Scotland, identified using the Scottish Motor Neuron Disease Register, identifies a number of different factors which may contribute to the aetiology of MND.
...