Radiation-epidemiological Study of Cerebrovascular Diseases in the Cohort of Russian Recovery Operation Workers of the Chernobyl Accident

• Published in: Health physics (1958) Vol. 111; no. 2; pp. 192 - 197
• Main Authors: Kashcheev, V.V, Chekin, S Yu, Maksioutov, M.A, Tumanov, K.A, Menyaylo, A.N, Kochergina, E.V, Kashcheeva, P.V, Gorsky, A.I, Shchukina, N.V, Karpenko, S.V, Ivanov, V.K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States by the Health Physics Society 01-08-2016; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Adult; Cerebrovascular Disorders - mortality; Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; Cohort Studies; Decontamination - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical diagnosis; Nuclear accidents & safety; Occupational Diseases - mortality; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Radiation; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Radiation Injuries - mortality; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Russia - epidemiology; Survival Rate; Ukraine, Chernobyl
• ISSN: 0017-9078; 1538-5159
• DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000000523

ABSTRACTThe paper presents an analysis of the incidence of cerebrovascular diseases (CeVD) in the cohort of Russian workers involved in recovery tasks after the Chernobyl accident. The studied cohort consists of 53,772 recovery operation workers (liquidators) who arrived in the zone of the Chernobyl accident within the first year after this accident (26 April 1986–26 April 1987). The mean external whole body dose in the cohort was 0.161 Gy, while individual doses varied from 0.0001 Gy to 1.42 Gy. During the follow-up period 1986–2012, a total of 23,264 cases of CeVD were diagnosed as a result of annual health examinations. A Poisson regression model was applied for estimation of radiation risks and for an assessment of other risk factors of CeVD. The following factors were considered as risk factors for CeVDthe dose, duration of the liquidators’ work in the Chernobyl zone, and the concomitant diseases (hypertension, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes). The baseline incidence of CeVD is statistically significantly (p < 0.001) associated with all studied concomitant diseases. The incidence of CeVD has revealed a statistically significant dose response with the lack of a latent period and with the average ERR/Gy = 0.45, 95% CI(0.28, 0.62), p < 0.001. Radiation risks of CeVD statistically significantly (p = 0.03) varied with the duration of liquidators’ stay in the Chernobyl zone; for those who stayed in the Chernobyl zone less than 6 wk, ERR/Gy = 0.64, 95% CI = (0.38; 0.93), p < 0.001. Among studied concomitant diseases, diabetes mellitus statistically significantly (p = 0.002) increases the radiation risk of CeVDfor liquidators with diagnosed diabetes, ERR/Gy = 1.29.