Occupational Pesticide Exposure Tied to Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

Workers exposed to high levels of pesticides have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study of 8,000 Japanese-American men on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The men were part of a long-term heart study that ran from the mid-1960s until 1999. Their pesticide exposure was estimated from Occupational Safety and Health Administration information for their jobs. Compared to those whose work didn't involve pesticides, men with high levels of exposure had about a 45% higher risk of heart disease or stroke in the first 10 years, according to the findings published l...