Occupational exposure to magnetic fields increases the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Charcot’s disease, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Researchers from the universities of Utrecht and Maastricht (The Netherlands) used data from a cohort of 58,279 men and 62,573 women to investigate risk factors for cancer in people in the Netherlands. The group, aged 55 to 69, was followed for about 17 years.
At the end of the study, the researchers compared information from people who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to identify whether they were more likely to have been exposed to various factors in the development of this disease. The causes studied were as follows: electric shocks, magnetic fields, metals, pesticides and solvents.
Twice the risk with exposure to electromagnetic waves
The results of the study showed that of the 58,279 men in the study, 88 died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis of which 76 had occupational data available for analysis.
Men who had working lives exposing them to high levels of magnetic fields were twice as likely to die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) than people who had low exposure. In contrast, none of the other work factors analyzed showed an increased risk of developing this disease.
8,000 people affected by the disease in France
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, causing progressive paralysis of all muscles in the body. According to the Association for Research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Arsla), this neurological disease affects around 8,000 people in France.
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