The source of this article is Business Wire: http://tinyurl.com/c4wrt

May 12, 2005 02:58 PM US Eastern Timezone

New Study Finds No Association Between Welding and Parkinson's Disease;
First Epi-Cohort Study to Focus on Welders Confirms Welders Not at
Increased Risk of Neurodegenerative Disorders

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2005--The Welding Information Center
announced today that an important new epidemiological study published in
the May 2005 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine concludes that there is no link between welding or exposure to
welding fumes and an increased risk of Parkinson's disease or any other
similar neurodegenerative disorder. Entitled "A Cohort Study of Parkinson's
Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders in Danish Welders," it is the
first epidemiological cohort study of Parkinson's disease and other
neurodegenerative disorders undertaken among men employed as welders.


Dr. Mark Roberts, Fellow and Board Member of the American College of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, stated, "This is an excellent
study that provides important information about the health of welders. It
is the largest cohort study to date to look at the issue of welding and
Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonisms. It has a well-defined study
population, excellent long-term follow-up and is the only cohort study to
look at the rate of incidence of Parkinson's disease in this context. The
results of this study show that welders in this large population are not at
an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease or other similar
movement disorders."

The cohort of 27,839 males identified as working in metals manufacturing,
were drawn from all Danish males with hospitalization and out-patient
records from the period 1977 through 2002. 9,817 of these men worked in
departments where welding occurred, and 6,163 of those in such departments
were classified as actual welders. The standardized disease-specific
hospitalization ratio (SHR) incidence of Parkinson's disease in these three
groups was then compared to the SHRs for the same diseases in the general
population. The resulting SHRs for Parkinson's disease were .9 for all
workers in metals manufacturing, 1.0 for those in welding departments, and
.9 for welders themselves. An SHR below 1.0 indicates the studied cohort
was less likely to contract the disease than the general public, an SHR of
1.0 means the risk is the same as the general public, and an SHR above 1.0
suggests an increased risk for the studied group. Similar non-association
SHRs were computed for the other neurodegenerative diseases.

The study concluded "this cohort of Danish welders with more than 20 years
of systematic follow-up had rates of PD and other neurological conditions
consistent with those of the general population of Denmark," and notes its
clinical significance by saying, "this relatively large cohort study offers
assurances that men in mild and stainless steel welding do not have
increased hospitalizations for PD or other neurodegenerative disorders."

The lead author of the study was epidemiologist Dr. Jon Fryzek of the
International Epidemiological Institute, in Rockville MD. A grant funding
this research was provided by a group of current and former manufacturers
of welding consumables.

About The Welding Information Center

The Welding Information Center is sponsored by current and former
manufacturers and distributors of welding rods. The purpose of the site is
to educate the public about the importance of welding to our society. By
gathering and providing access in one place to notable publications,
articles and other materials which detail everything from welding's
remarkable history and numerous contributions to our economy, to current
welding rod litigation and other issues, the site offers visitors a broad
overview of the key facts that form a basis for understanding welding and
its important role in all our lives. For additional information visit
http://www.weldinginfocenter.org.

Contacts


  Citigate Sard Verbinnen
Brandy Bergman/Lesley Bogdanow, 212-687-8080

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