[ RadSafe ] Scientists discover possible radiation and heartdisease link

[Dan W McCarn]

John & Grant:

Prof. Alexandre Nechaev (St. Petersburg State Institute of Technology), my
old Russian Section Head at the IAEA (Nuclear Materials & Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Section), quoted a Russian study (about 1995) of the survivors of the zone
looking at health differences between the group that remained and the group
that was evacuated out and relocated.  

The study concluded that there was a 7-year loss-of-life expectancy between
the two groups, with the group remaining near the zone having significantly
less health effects.  The prevalent increased health problems in the
relocated group were: 1) Suicide; 2) Drug/Alcohol abuse; 3) Diabetes; 4)
Heart disease; and 5) Stroke.  He also mentioned that these increased health
effects were much more highly correlated to psychological stress than dose.

I understand that similar health effects can be seen in stressed groups of
people regardless of the cause of the stress.  I'd be willing to bet that
there is a high correlation between diabetes and radiation as well, though I
do not think that the radiation is the cause, rather the psychological
stress and terrible diet which are common contributing factors to heart
disease as well.

I've asked Prof. Nechaev for this paper, but did not receive it. If anyone
in the RadSafe community is aware of the study (in Russian) I would
appreciate a copy.

Having spent 2 years in Belarus, the grinding poverty and lack of health
care are very evident in the Gomel Province, just north of Chernobyl.

Dan ii

Dan W McCarn, Geologist
Houston & Albuquerque

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of John Jacobus
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 12:56 PM
To: NIXON, Grant; howard long; John R Johnson; Fred Dawson;
srp-uk at yahoogroups.com
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Scientists discover possible radiation and
heartdisease link

Grant,
  I believe that the increased death rate to Chernobyl worker was probably
due to declining economic opportunites with the break up of the Soviet
Union, lack of health, care, high rates of alcohol consumption and smoking.
I am not sure if heart disease was studied in the Chernobyl workers per se.


"NIXON, Grant" <Grant.NIXON at mdsinc.com> wrote:
        v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:*
{behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape
{behavior:url(#default#VML);}        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
I meant lower income jobs which, in turn, are associated with the risk
factors you mention. Can anyone speak to the rigor applied to the sampling
statistics and to the dose levels of the groups? I find that, far too often,
there is a serious problem with the sampling.
   
  However, I recall hearing that that some of the workers at Chernobyl died
of heart attacks in the months and years following their elevated exposures.
I do not know if this was established formally / scientifically in the
literature or not.
   
  Grant
   
    Grant I. Nixon, Ph.D., P.Phys.
  Science Specialist (Physics)
  Radiation Applications Development Team
  Engineering, Development & Compliance
  MDS Nordion
  447 March Road
  Ottawa, ON  K2K 1X8
  Canada
   
  Tel: +1 613 592 3400 ext. 2869
  Fax: +1 613 591 7423

      
---------------------------------
  
  From: John Jacobus [mailto:crispy_bird at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 12:32 PM
To: NIXON, Grant; howard long; John R Johnson; Fred Dawson;
srp-uk at yahoogroups.com
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Scientists discover possible radiation and
heartdisease link

   
    Grant,

    By "lower socio-economic standing" do you mean unable to afford health
care?  Hard-drinking? Smoking?

     

    One would think that there factors are controlled for, but maybe not by
rigorous multi-regression analyzes.

"NIXON, Grant" <Grant.NIXON at mdsinc.com> wrote:

    I would suspect that, on average, the radiation workers who received the
highest doses were from a lower socio-economic standing (e.g., the
decontamination workers). Socio-economics (read lifestyle) is a
well-established indicator of one's propensity for heart disease and
shorter lifespan and I would wager that this is likely THE causal factor
behind the finding rather that dose level which is likely only a symptom
of the causal factor.

Grant

Grant I. Nixon, Ph.D., P.Phys.
Science Specialist / Senior Radiation Physicist
Radiation Applications Development Team
Engineering, Development & Compliance
MDS Nordion
447 March Road
Ottawa, ON K2K 1X8
Canada

Tel: +1 613 592 3400 ext. 2869
Fax: +1 613 591 7423




+++++++++++++++++++
"Part of human nature resents change, loves equilibrium, while another part
welcomes novelty, loves the excitement of disequilibrium. There is no
formula for the resolution of this tug-of-war, but it is obvious  that
absolute surrender to either of them invites disaster."
-J. Bartlet Brebner 

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com
       
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