Most people know that smoking cigarettes can lead to severe lung damage, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. What they may not realize is that COPD can occur from exposure to hazardous substances at work as well. At the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), investigators are studying the causes and how to prevent COPD.
In the workplace, the risk of developing COPD may increase with exposure to certain substances such as vapors, gases, dusts, and fumes. Certain jobs carry a greater risk of these types of exposures compared to others. A fundamental part of prevention efforts involves determining which jobs are high- versus low-risk. For this study, investigators analyzed data from prior research of COPD and work exposures among members of Kaiser Permanente Northwest, an integrated health plan based in Portland, Oregon.