Table 4 Specific pesticide use in AHS applicators with ≥24 months continuous FFS Medicare coverage (1999-2016): risk of specialist-confirmed RA, stratified by smoking history (ever).

From: Associations between pesticide use and rheumatoid arthritis among older farmers in the Agricultural Health Study

Ever used1:

% exposed cases2

Relative Risk (95% Confidence Intervals)3

Smokers / Non-smokers

Smokers

Non-smokers

Insecticides

Organochlorines

Aldrin4

35 / 28

1.30 (0.82–2.08)

0.75 (0.40–1.41)

Chlordane

34 / 37

0.82 (0.53–1.28)

1.07 (0.61–1.88)

DDT

54 / 48

1.02 (0.67–1.56)

1.06 (0.61–1.85)

Heptachlor

25 / 22

1.20 (0.70–2.06)

0.77 (0.39–1.53)

Lindane

22 / 22

1.08 (0.65–1.80)

0.94 (0.49–1.81)

Toxaphene

31 / 24

1.36 (0.86–2.14)

1.19 (0.64–2.24)

Organophosphates

Chlorpyrifos

43 / 40

1.20 (0.79–1.83)

1.05 (0.61–1.82)

Diazinon

40 / 34

1.02 (0.66–1.58)

0.93 (0.52–1.67)

Fonofos

21 / 25

1.38 (0.78–2.44)

1.27 (0.65–2.48)

Malathion

78 / 85

1.36 (0.82–2.27)

2.41 (1.13–5.18)

Parathion

27 / 24

1.19 (0.74–1.92)

1.43 (0.75–2.73)

Phorate

42 / 39

1.80 (1.13–2.89)

1.12 (0.62–2.03)

Terbufos

36 / 38

1.30 (0.82–2.07)

1.13 (0.63–2.03)

Carbamates

Aldicarb

16 / *

0.89 (0.46–1.72)

0.77 (0.27–2.19)

Carbaryl

77 / 72

1.53 (0.92–2.55)

1.77 (0.95–3.31)

Carbofuran4

40 / 28

1.75 (1.13–2.71)

0.89 (0.49–1.62)

Herbicides

Analids/analines

Alachlor4

64 / 42

1.84 (1.19–2.87)

0.96 (0.55–1.67)

Metolachlor

49 / 50

1.58 (1.02–2.45)

1.37 (0.79–2.38)

Pendimethalin

46 / 37

1.13 (0.74–1.72)

0.84 (0.48–1.47)

Trifluralin

53 / 47

1.50 (0.95–2.38)

0.90 (0.51–1.62)

Phenoxy

2,4-D

39 / 30

1.26 (0.75–2.14)

0.83 (0.44–1.57)

2,4,5-T

28 / 24

0.84 (0.53–1.36)

0.66 (0.35–1.26)

Thiocarbamate

Butylate4

39 / 30

1.42 (0.87–2.30)

0.84 (0.44–1.60)

EPTC

20 / *

1.70 (0.97–2.98)

1.31 (0.64–2.68)

Triazine/Triazinone

Atrazine4

81 / 73

1.64 (0.93–2.92)

1.04 (0.52–2.06)

Cyanazine

40 / 38

1.54 (0.95–2.51)

0.97 (0.52–1.79)

Metribuzin

45 / 50

1.43 (0.90–2.26)

1.44 (0.81–2.57)

Other

Chlorimuron Ethyl4

39 / 28

1.46 (0.95–2.25)

0.82 (0.45–1.49)

Dicamba

39 / 49

1.03 (0.61–1.73)

1.12 (0.59–2.11)

Glyphosate

81 / 78

1.00 (0.59–1.71)

0.94 (0.50–1.77)

Imazethapyr

30 / 41

1.10 (0.62–1.94)

1.09 (0.56–2.11)

Paraquat

31 / 24

1.11 (0.70–1.78)

1.01 (0.52–1.95)

Petroleum oil/distillates

44 / 46

1.13 (0.73–1.75)

1.36 (0.78–2.36)

Fungicides/Fumigants

Benomyl

21 / *

1.52 (0.88–2.62)

1.75 (0.82–3.75)

Captan

13 / 11

1.29 (0.69–2.44)

0.72 (0.26–1.99)

Chlorothalonil

17 / *

1.49 (0.76–2.94)

0.85 (0.29–2.51)

Maneb

15 / *

0.85 (0.46–1.58)

1.44 (0.63–3.27)

Metalaxyl

38 / 23

1.42 (0.88–2.29)

1.05 (0.52–2.09)

Methylbromide

22 / 20

0.85 (0.49–1.48)

1.47 (0.68–3.19)

  1. 1Lifetime history ever used specific pesticides at enrollment (1993-1997) or first follow-up (1999-2003) prior to RA diagnosis.
  2. 2Among participants with ≥24 months continuous fee for service (FFS) coverage (Parts A and B coverage without Part C), including initial ≥12-month clean period with no claims for rheumatoid arthritis; specialist-confirmed cases had ≥2 claims for RA ≥30 days apart plus ≥1 claim(s) from a rheumatologist. Asterix (*) indicates percent not shown if number or percent not shown due to <11 in a cell or ability to infer the count of groups with <11 exposed cases in conjunction with other data presented.
  3. 3Relative Risk estimates calculated using log binomial regression, adjusted for categorical age (40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+), state (NC, IA), education (≤high school, >high school), and correlated pesticides (R2>0.35): [aldicarb (chlorothalonil and benomyl), chlorothalonil (aldicarb and benomyl), atrazine (alachlor), butylate (cyanazine and metribuzin)].
  4. 4Interaction p-values <0.20 for following pesticides by smoking (ever/never): aldrin (intp=0.18), carbofuran (intp =0.07), alachlor (intp=0.08), butylate (intp=0.19), atrazine (intp=0.14), chlorimuron ethyl (intp=0.13).
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