OBJECTIVES: Construction workers face an elevated risk for several types of cancer. Nevertheless, there is a lack of large-scale epidemiological studies examining the risk of all cancers in construction workers. This study aimed to investigate the risk of various cancers in male construction workers using the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. METHODS: We used data from the NHIS database from 2009 to 2015. Construction workers were identified using the Korean Standard Industrial Classification code. We calculated the age-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer occurrence in male construction workers compared to all male workers. RESULTS: Compared to all male workers, the SIRs for esophageal cancer (SIR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.42) and malignant neoplasms of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (SIR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.24) were significantly higher in male construction workers. The SIRs for malignant neoplasms of the urinary tract (SIR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.35) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.43) were significantly elevated in building construction workers. The SIR for malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchus, and lung (SIR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.29) was significantly higher in heavy and civil engineering workers. CONCLUSIONS Male construction workers have an increased risk for esophageal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s cancer. Our results indicate that tailored strategies for cancer prevention should be developed for construction workers.

OBJECTIVES: Proteinuria is widely used to predict cardiovascular risk. However, there is insufficient evidence to predict how changes in proteinuria may affect the incidence of cardiovascular disease. METHODS: The study included 265,236 Korean adults who underwent health checkups in 2003-2004 and 2007-2008. They were categorized into 4 groups based on changes in proteinuria (negative: negative → negative; resolved: proteinuria ≥1+ → negative; incident: negative → proteinuria ≥1+; persistent: proteinuria ≥1+ → proteinuria ≥1+). We conducted 6 years of follow-up to identify the risks of developing ischemic heart disease (IHD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and angina pectoris according to changes in proteinuria. A multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident IHD, AMI, and angina pectoris. RESULTS: The IHD risk (expressed as HR [95% CI]) was the highest for persistent proteinuria, followed in descending order by incident and resolved proteinuria, compared with negative proteinuria (negative: reference, resolved: 1.211 [95% CI, 1.104 to 1.329], incident: 1.288 [95% CI, 1.184 to 1.400], and persistent: 1.578 [95% CI, 1.324 to 1.881]). The same pattern was associated with AMI (negative: reference, resolved: 1.401 [95% CI, 1.048 to 1.872], incident: 1.606 [95% CI, 1.268 to 2.035], and persistent: 2.069 [95% CI, 1.281 to 3.342]) and angina pectoris (negative: reference, resolved: 1.184 [95% CI, 1.065 to 1.316], incident: 1.275 [95% CI, 1.160 to 1.401], and persistent: 1.554 [95% CI, 1.272 to 1.899]). CONCLUSIONS Experiencing proteinuria increased the risks of IHD, AMI, and angina pectoris even after proteinuria resolved.

OBJECTIVES: Inconsistent results are available regarding the association between low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and lung cancer risk. We aimed to explore the risk of lung cancer according to eGFR category in the Korean population. METHODS: We included 358,293 adults who underwent health checkups between 2009 and 2010, utilizing data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. Participants were categorized into 3 groups based on their baseline eGFR, as determined using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation: group 1 (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2), group 2 (eGFR ≥60 to <90 mL/min/1.73 m2), and group 3 (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Incidences of lung cancer were identified using the corresponding codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for lung cancer incidence up to 2019. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, group 2 exhibited a 26% higher risk of developing lung cancer than group 1 (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.35). Furthermore, group 3 demonstrated a 72% elevated risk of lung cancer relative to group 1 (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.58 to 1.89). Among participants with dipstick proteinuria of 2+ or greater, group 3 faced a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than group 1 (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.37 to 6.24). CONCLUSIONS Low eGFR was significantly associated with increased lung cancer risk within the Korean population. A particularly robust association was observed in individuals with severe proteinuria, emphasizing the need for further investigation.