CHEST 2023 On Demand Pass-Occupational and Environmental Lung: Challenges of High-Risk Occupations

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have found that short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) and steroids are associated with the development of aerodigestive diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus, in particulate matter-exposed firefighters. The study, which followed firefighters exposed to World Trade Center particulate matter since 9/11, found that over 60% of the firefighters developed GERD, and around 10% had Barrett's esophagus. The use of SABAs was associated with a 4-fold increased risk of GERD and a 2-fold increased risk of Barrett's esophagus. Similarly, the use of steroids was associated with a 4.65-fold increased risk of GERD and a 2.27-fold increased risk of Barrett's esophagus. The researchers also found that firefighters who arrived at the site in the morning of 9/11 had a higher risk of developing GERD compared to those arriving in the afternoon. The study highlights the link between respiratory medication use and the development of aerodigestive diseases in firefighters exposed to particulate matter, emphasizing the need for further research into this association and the development of non-invasive biomarkers to predict these conditions.

Meta Tag

Category Occupational and Environmental

Session ID 4022

Speaker Thomas Alexander

Speaker Urooj Javed

Speaker Sheena Kamineni

Speaker Richa Nahar

Speaker Anna Nolan

Speaker Steven Stoffel

Track Occupational and Environmental Lung Diseases

Keywords

short-acting beta-agonists

steroids

aerodigestive diseases

gastroesophageal reflux disease

GERD

Barrett's esophagus

particulate matter-exposed firefighters