Cardiorespiratory disorders in workers at an aluminum production

Introduction. In the modern world, cardiopulmonary pathology is the most common, so when conducting examinations of trainee workers in the aluminum industry, special attention should be paid to patients with a complex comorbid background, namely those with diseases of the cardiopulmonary continuum.

The study aims to examine cardiorespiratory disorders in workers in the main professions in the aluminum industry.

Materials and methods. The scientists examined 173 workers in the main professions at an aluminum plant, aged between 40 and 60. All subjects underwent assessment of respiratory function and an ultrasound examination of the heart.

Results. The proportion of aluminium industry workers suffering from respiratory disorders reached 35%. Chronic occupational intoxication with fluorine compounds did not affect the development of respiratory system pathology. Smoking also did not have a significant impact on the development of lung diseases, unlike the length of service in hazardous conditions. Scientists have identified a significant correlation between the duration of work by aluminium industry workers in polluted air conditions in workshops and a decrease in the maximum volumetric expiratory flow rate during exhalation of 75% of forced vital capacity, which reflects the patency of small bronchi. Quantitative indicators reflecting ventricular function, Doppler parameters of left ventricular diastolic function (the rate of deceleration of early transmitral diastolic blood flow and the isovolumic relaxation time) and right ventricular diastolic function (the ratio of movement velocities in early and late diastole in the area of its lateral wall) differed significantly, as did systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery, which was elevated in the group of patients with respiratory diseases.

Limitations. The study is limited to the number of workers in key professions in the aluminum industry who underwent examination at the clinic of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Institute for Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases".

Conclusion. The effect of fluoride and its compounds on the body leads not only to the development of osteopathy, but also to respiratory disorders that contribute to the formation of myocardial dysfunction of both ventricles.

Ethics. The examination of patients complied with the ethical standards of the bioethics committee of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Institute of Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases" (meeting protocol No. 4, § 2 dated November 18, 2021), developed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (2013 edition). All examined individuals gave written informed consent to participate in the study.

Contributions:
Korotenko O.Yu. — data collection and processing, statistical analysis, writing the text, editing;
Krasilnikova P.L. — data collection, text writing;
Panev N.I. — data collection, editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 09.00.2026 / Accepted: 10.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

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