Comportamiento metabólico, fisiológico y electrocardiográfico en trabajadores expuestos a altas temperaturas en una empresa líder en la explotación y coquización del carbón en Boyacá, Colombia, 2016
Thesis
Objective: To establish the relationship between occupational exposure to high temperatures or thermal overload with the physiological, metabolic and electrocardiographic behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional study where two groups were included (exposed and not exposed to high temperatures) in a mining company in the department of Boyacá, Colombia, in 2016. The number of participants was 160 workers male exposed group (n = 86) and unexposed group (n = 74). Occupational exposure to heat stress was assessed with the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, the physiological behavior with the Relative Cardiovascular Load (%CVL) with measurements of heart rate (HR). The metabolic behavior with determination total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and basal glycemia (GL). Electrocardiographic changes with taking 12-lead ECG. They were also evaluated anthropometric variables, blood pressure, habits and history of cardiovascular disease in both groups. Results: Significant increases in the CVL (p <0.001) and physical load (p <0.001) were found in workers exposed to high temperatures. Lipid and glucose levels and cardiovascular medical history, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption had no significance. Family history of stroke (p = 0.043) and altered ECG (p = 0.011) showed a significant association with exposure to high temperatures. The multiple linear regression model explained the relationship between the increase of CVL and exposure to high temperatures (β = 4.213, 95% CI 1.57,6.85) adjusted for physiological and electrocardiographic variables. Conclusions: Occupational exposure to high temperatures, presents association with cardiovascular and electrocardiographic abnormalities at physiological level, increasing the CVL and physical workload.
