Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

Radiation dose- and sex-dependent cardiovascular mortality in residents of contaminated areas after the Chornobyl NPP accident, 1988–2010 observation period

V. O. Buzunov1, K. Ye. Prikaschikova1, I. G. Gubina2, G. V. Kostiuk1, S. O. Tereschenko2
1State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Melnykov str., 53, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
2SI “Ukrainian Centre of Information Technologies and National Register”, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 21!а Kramskogo Str., 03115 Kyiv, Ukraine

Objective. To estimate the circulatory system disease death rates for people living in areas contaminated after the Chornobyl accident. Epidemiological estimation covered the post-accident period (1988–2010) and was focused on the relationship between death rates and doses accumulated over 1986–2010 or sex of survivors aged under 60 at the time of the accident.
Materials and methods. We used data from the State Registry of Ukraine on persons affected by the Chornobyl accident. Residents of contaminated areas were grouped into the two cohorts according to cumulative dose values. Cohort 1 numbered 155,592 people (86,787 females and 68,805 males), their radiation doses were 5.6–20.99 mSv; cohort 2 totaled 98,830 people (52,640 females and 46,190 males) with radiation doses 21.00–50.99 mSv. Mean age (X±d) of inhabitants of contaminated areas at the time of the accident (April 26, 1986) was 29.5±23.2 years (30.6±22.3 for women and 28.3±23.2 for men) in the cohort 1, and 28.7±17.3 years (29.8±17.7 and 27.5±16.2 respectively) in the cohort 2). These cohorts were subdivided by sex (males and females).
Results. Significantly higher (ID per 103 person-years is 8.08±0.10) cardiovascular mortality was revealed among members of the cohort 2 vs. cohort 1 (ID per 103 person-years is 6.29±0.06). Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in both sex groups of the cohort 2 is higher (ID per 103 person-years is 6.80±0.12 in women and 9.43±0.15 - in men) than that of the cohort 1 (ID per 103 person-years is 5.34±0.08 in women, 7.37±0.10 - in men). Whatever accumulated doses the mortality from circulatory diseases was significantly higher in men vs. women.
Conclusion. Cardiovascular mortality in population of radiation-contaminated territories depends on the integral radiation exposure and gender. Death rates are clearly higher (р<0.05) in persons having more radiation doses vs. those exposed to less ones. Mortality is significantly higher in males vs. females despite integral radiation doses values. The coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arterial hypertension, heart diseases, diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries) were the main causes of death.

Key words: inhabitants, contaminated area, accumulated dose, sex, cardiovascular mortality.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2013;18:50–58.