Assessment of Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Underground Hard Rock and Other Mining Industry Workers in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Abstract

ImportanceRespirable silica exposure has been strongly and consistently linked to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among foundry workers, persons in the construction trades, stone crushers and drillers, and coal miners. However, risk of RA in hard rock mining has not been thoroughly investigated.ObjectiveTo analyze occupational risk of RA in hard rock miners in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cross-sectional survey study estimated the association between mining industry work and reported RA in a random-digit telephone survey of men 50 years or older living in selected counties with elevated levels of pneumoconiosis mortality (N = 1988). The survey was conducted between January 12 and May 4, 2021.ExposuresUnderground hard rock and other mining and related mineral-processing occupations.Main Outcomes and MeasuresReport of a clinician diagnosis of RA further defined by treatment with corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Risk was estimated using logistic regression.ResultsThe analytic sample of 1988 men (survey response rate, 11.1% of all contacts) had a mean (SD) age of 68.6 (10.1) years. Underground hard rock mining was reported by 118 (5.9%); underground mining of other types, predominantly coal mining (no concomitant hard rock), 62 (3.1%); and surface mining or ore processing (no underground), 262 (13.2%). Adjusting for age and smoking and accounting for nonmining silica exposure, mining employment was associated with increased odds of corticosteroid-treated RA (n = 89) (odds ratio, 4.12 [95%, 2.49-6.81]). The odds were similar for RA treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (n = 80) (odds ratio, 3.30 [95% CI, 1.93-5.66]).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional survey study, workers in hard rock and other underground mining and surface mining occupations experienced 3- to 4-fold increased odds of RA. These findings suggest that clinicians should consider patients with relevant work exposures as at higher risk for developing RA.