Euclydes C. Lima Filho

Ocupação e hipertensão

Scientific reports on Arterial Blood Hypertension for the period from 1970 to 1989 are reviewed, with special reference to its epidemiological focusing among workers. The knowledge gained and the theoretical and methodological advances associated with it are assessed.Scientific reports on Arterial Blood Hypertension for the period from 1970 to 1989 are reviewed, with special reference to its epidemiological focusing among workers. The knowledge gained and the theoretical and methodological advances associated with it are assessed.Com base em revisao bibliografica discute-se a literatura produzida nas decadas de 70 e 80, no campo da epidemiologia da hipertensao arterial sistemica entre trabalhadores. Analisa-se nao apenas o ponto de vista do conhecimento gerado, mas tambem os aspectos relacionados ao instrumental teorico-metodologico empregado.

Pressão arterial entre trabalhadores de curtume

INTRODUCAO: O grupo das doencas cardiovasculares tem sido apontado como a principal causa de obito no Brasil desde os anos 70, sendo a hipertensao arterial sistemica (HAS) o fator de risco mais importante para esse grupo. Entre os trabalhadores observa-se correlacao negativa entre o status ocupacional e a pressao arterial. Tais fatos ressaltam a importância do conhecimento da distribuicao da pressao arterial sistemica entre os distintos grupos profissionais. Assim, foi realizado estudo para descrever o status pressorico de uma populacao homogenea e estavel de trabalhadores do setor secundario da economia, pouco especializados e que ganham baixos salarios, estabelecendo a prevalencia da HAS nesse grupo especifico, relacionando-a com algumas covariaveis biologicas e socioeconomicas, e comparando-a com a prevalencia de HAS em outros grupos profissionais no Brasil. METODO: Foram estudados 73 trabalhadores regularmente empregados em julho de 1993 em um curtume situado no Municipio de Botucatu, cidade de medio porte da regiao Centro-Oeste do Estado de Sao Paulo, os quais foram submetidos a exame antropometrico, afericao de pressao arterial, anamnese e exame clinico. Os resultados foram comparados com os obtidos em estudos semelhantes, controlando-se o confundimento da idade por intermedio de diferentes tecnicas. RESULTADOS: A prevalencia bruta da HAS encontrada foi de 56,1%, sendo 15,8% a prevalencia de hipertensao sistolica isolada. Ambas se associaram ao etilismo e ao tabagismo na populacao estudada. DISCUSSAO: A prevalencia da hipertensao foi consideravelmente alta e significativamente maior do que a encontrada em outros grupos de trabalhadores estudados no Brasil. Tal achado ressalta a necessidade da continuidade da investigacao, objetivando o isolamento dos fatores implicados na elevacao pressorica do grupo estudado.

Distúrbios neurológicos em trabalhadores com baixos níveis de chumbo no sangue: II-Disfunções neurocomportamentais

This is a cross-sectional study with a randomized choice of individuals aiming at studying the validity of the Brazilian biological exposure limits applied to lead level in the blood (PbB) and delta-aminolevulinic acid in the urine (ALAU), which are 60 µ/dl and 10 mg/g.creat., respectively. Thus, twenty workers, whose PbB and ALAU values have been below these limits over the past two years, were selected at random at a battery plant in the State of S. Paulo, Brazil. The workers were submitted to a variation of the WHO Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery. The results were compared with those obtained for workers of a control group also chosen at random. The lead workers showed memory, mood and motor coordination disorders. Comparing these results with those obtained from the control group, a significant difference was observed (p-value < 0.02). The results indicate that the Brazilian biological exposure limits above should be reconsidered.

Distúrbios neurológicos em trabalhadores com baixos níveis de chumbo no sangue. I: Neuropatia periférica

This is a cross-sectional study with a randomized choice of individuals aiming at studying the validity of the Brazilian biological exposure limits applied to lead level in the blood (PbB) and delta-aminolevulinic acid in the urine (ALAU), which are 60 µg/dl and 10 mg/g.creat., respectively. For this purpose, twenty workers, whose PbB and ALAU values have been below these limits over the past two years, were selected at random at a battery production plant in the State of S. Paulo, Brazil. The workers were submitted to a peripheral nerve conduction study. The results were compared with those obtained for workers of a control group also chosen at random. The lead workers showed a decrease in the velocity conduction of the radial nerves. Comparing this group with a randomized control group, a significant difference was observed (p-value = 0.0067). The results suggest that the Brazilian biological exposure limits above should be rearranged.

Association between diastolic blood pressure and cumulative work time

Diastolic blood pressure was viewed as a generic indicator of aging, and its association with cumulative work time was studied after controlling for age as a potential confounding factor. The study was conducted among production line workers at a Brazilian tannery in July 1993. The association between diastolic blood pressure and cumulative work time was verified by fitting a second-order linear regression model, where diastolic blood pressure was a function of workers age and cumulative work time. By fitting the model, one can predict that, from the beginning of working life at the tannery, on average each 1-year period is associated with an increase of about 1. 5 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. The fit obtained highlights a component directly associated with work as part of the rate of pressure increase in the study group. This component is twice as high as that directly associated with age.

Reajustando o limite de tolerância biológica aplicado à plumbemia no Brasil

We randomly selected twenty lead workers from an electric accumulator factory in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, whose blood lead level and urinary d-aminolevulinic acid level were below 60 mg/dL and 10 mg/L, respectively. The workers were submitted to a standard motor nerve conduction velocity study of the right radial nerves, in addition to blood lead dosage. Based on these measures, a first-order linear regression model was adjusted, where the dependent variable was conduction velocity and the independent variable was the blood lead level. Analyzing the fitted model, we inferred that the negative predictive value of the Brazilian biological exposure limit is 0.63. In order for the above biological exposure limit to have a negative predictive value of 0.99, the study suggests that it be reduced from its present value (60 mg/dL) to 32 mg/dL.