RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Use of permethrin and other pyrethroids and mortality in the Agricultural Health Study
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 664
OP 672
DO 10.1136/oemed-2021-108156
VO 79
IS 10
A1 Srishti Shrestha
A1 Christine G Parks
A1 David M Umbach
A1 Jonathan N Hofmann
A1 Laura E Beane Freeman
A1 Aaron Blair
A1 Dale P Sandler
YR 2022
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/79/10/664.abstract
AB Objectives Pyrethroid insecticides have been linked with multiple health outcomes. One study reported an association with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Given the widespread use of pyrethroids, these findings warrant confirmation. We explored associations of permethrin/pyrethroid use with overall and cause-specific mortality among 50 665 licensed pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.Methods At enrolment (1993–1997), participants self-reported information on permethrin/pyrethroid use. Information on causes of death came from linkage with death registries through 2016. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs and 95% CIs with adjustment for potential confounders.Results Over an average 21 years of follow-up, 19.6% (9,955) of the cohort died. We found no clear evidence that ever-use of permethrin/pyrethroid was associated with elevated overall mortality or with mortality from most causes examined. There was suggestive evidence, based on a small number of deaths among those exposed, for elevated pyrethroid-associated mortality from some neurological, respiratory and genitourinary diseases in the overall sample and from lung cancer among never-smokers.Conclusion Although based on mortality, which is also affected by survival, rather than incidence, these findings are biologically plausible, and future investigations in other populations may be warranted.Data are available on reasonable request. Requests for data, including the data used in this manuscript, are welcome as described on the Study Website (https://www.aghealth.nih.gov/collaboration/process.html). Data requests may be made directly at www.aghealthstars .com; registration is required. The Agricultural Health Study is an ongoing prospective study. The data sharing policy was developed to protect the privacy of study participants and is consistent with study informed consent documents as approved by the NIH Institutional Review Board. DPS is the NIEHS Principal Investigator of the Agricultural Health Study and is responsible for ensuring participant safety and privacy.