In workers employed in the
aluminum industry, the main harmful production factor is exposure to
fluoride salts, which can cause chronic
fluoride intoxication. For the assessment of the impact of chronic
fluoride intoxication on the development of
atherosclerosis, we conducted a comprehensive survey of 87
aluminum-
metal makers with chronic
fluoride intoxication and 43
aluminum-
metal makers without
occupational diseases, mean age--52.1 ± 0.4 years. There were considered the presence and severity of
atherosclerosis of brachiocephalic arteries, and the arteries of the lower extremities in the studied group, there was evaluated the effect of other risk factors for
atherosclerosis (smoking, presence of
hypertension, diabetes,
dyslipidemia). With the use of Doppler ultrasound of the arteries it was revealed that in metallurgists with chronic
fluoride intoxication
atherosclerosis was detected in 73.6% versus 55.8% in persons of the comparison group. The performed analysis of the prevalence of main risk factors for
atherosclerosis showed that in
metal makers with chronic
fluoride intoxication in combination with
atherosclerosis hypertension is more common (in 54.7%) than in metallurgists with chronic
fluoride intoxication without
atherosclerosis--only 26.1%. According to the frequency of occurrence of smoking,
diabetes mellitus,
hypercholesterolemia, and
hypertriglyceridemia, there were no significant differences between the metallurgists with chronic
fluoride intoxication, with and without
atherosclerosis, and the control group, the increase in
LDL cholesterol occurs significantly more often in
metal-makers with chronic
fluoride intoxication in combination with
atherosclerosis if compared to workers without
occupational diseases. Thus, chronic
fluoride intoxication acts as a risk factor in the development of
atherosclerosis:
atherosclerosis in
metal-makers with chronic
fluoride intoxication occurs more frequently than in workers who do not have professional pathology.
Hypertension and elevated levels of
LDL cholesterol were established to increase the relative risk of developing
atherosclerosis in metallurgists with chronic
fluoride intoxication. At that there are no significant differences in the prevalence of common risk factors for
atherosclerosis (smoking, diabetes,
hypercholesterolemia,
hypertriglyceridemia).