RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Occupational exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a prospective cohort JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine JO Occup Environ Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 578 OP 585 DO 10.1136/oemed-2016-103780 VO 74 IS 8 A1 Tom Koeman A1 Pauline Slottje A1 Leo J Schouten A1 Susan Peters A1 Anke Huss A1 Jan H Veldink A1 Hans Kromhout A1 Piet A van den Brandt A1 Roel Vermeulen YR 2017 UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/74/8/578.abstract AB Objective To prospectively study suspected occupational risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Methods For this case–cohort analysis within the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study, 58 279 men and 62 573 women aged 55–69 years at enrolment in 1986 were followed up for 17.3 years on ALS mortality. Information on occupational history and potential confounders were collected at baseline through a self-administered questionnaire and entered for a random subcohort (2092 men and 2074 women) and ALS deaths (76 men and 60 women). Occupational exposure to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and electrical shocks was estimated by means of job exposure matrices (JEMs). Associations between ever/never occupationally exposed and cumulative exposure and ALS mortality were analysed by gender using Cox regression.Results Occupational exposure to ELF-MF showed a possible association with ALS mortality among men: HR for ever holding a job with high exposure versus background 2.19 (95% (CI): 1.02 to 4.73) and HR for the highest tertile of cumulative exposure versus background 1.93 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.55).Interpretation These results strengthen the evidence suggesting a positive association between ELF-MF exposure and ALS. We did not replicate earlier positive findings for other occupational exposures.