Table 3 Excess relative risks for glaucoma and macular degeneration in US radiologic technologists in relation to lagged cumulative eye-lens absorbed dose from occupational exposures (+95% CI).

From: Occupational radiation exposure and glaucoma and macular degeneration in the US radiologic technologists

  

Unadjusted relative risks

Adjusted relative risks

Endpoint

Cases

ERR (+95% CI)

p-value

ERR (+95% CI)

p-value

Glaucoma

1631

−1.39 (−1.94, −0.69)

<0.001

−0.57 (−1.46 W, 0.60)

0.304

Macular degeneration

1331

0.73 (−0.01, 1.74)

0.052

0.32 (−0.32, 1.27)

0.381

  1. Unadjusted relative risks were derived using a Cox proportional hazards model in relation to 5-year lagged cumulative eye lens dose, with age as timescale, unadjusted for any other covariate. For each endpoint (glaucoma, macular degeneration) follow-up is restricted to those persons eligible for study (no record of radiotherapy or disease at baseline, unambiguous status at end of follow-up (with both fact and year of diagnosis known) etc)(see Methods). Adjusted relative risks are evaluated using a Cox model with age as timescale, with stratification by sex, race and birth year (by decade <1900, 1900–1909, …, 1950–1959, ≥ 1960), and with adjustment to the baseline hazard for diabetes, body mass index (BMI), smoking status (current smoker/ex-smoker/never smoker, numbers of cigarettes/day, age stopped smoking), each ascertained at the baseline survey. For each endpoint (glaucoma, macular degeneration) follow-up is restricted to those persons eligible for study (no record of radiotherapy or disease at baseline, unambiguous status at end of follow-up (with both fact and year of diagnosis known) etc)(see Methods). p-values of improvement in fit over null model (with no trend in dose) are given, assessed via the likelihood ratio test. Unless otherwise indicated all confidence intervals are derived from the profile likelihood; those not so based are derived using Wald-based methods, and indicated with a superscript W.
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