Baseline Through Followup 3
May 1999
What is this registrant Report?
This is another of the ongoing reports on the health of persons who are members of the TCE Subregistry. This report summarizes the TCE Baseline Through Followup 3 Technical Report, which gives the details about the survey methods and the complete results of the Baseline and Followup 1, 2, and 3 interviews with registrants. This report includes information about registrants that was collected from 14 sites in 5 states between 1989 and 1995.
Like the Baseline and Followup 1 Reports that you previously received, ATSDR compared the health conditions reported by registrants at all four interviews with health conditions reported by the general population in a nationwide survey. We found that registrants reported some health conditions at a higher rate than the general population. Some health conditions were reported more frequently by certain age groups, and some had higher rates for only men or only women. Health conditions reported in excess at one or more of the interview time periods were:
Anemia
Diabetes
Hearing Impairment
Hypertension
Kidney Disease
Liver Problems
Skin Rashes
Speech Impairment
Stroke
Urinary Disorder
What does this mean?
The information gathered by the National Exposure Registry provides further evidence that exposure to TCE and other chemicals might be associated with the higher rates of adverse health outcomes reported by registrants. However, other factors--such as other chemical exposures at work or at home, personal lifestyle choices (smoking or drinking alcohol), and complications related to other health conditions-- might have caused the higher rates. More detailed information is being collected on some of the health conditions to better evaluate these results.
What happens now?
In the near future, ATSDR will be contacting registrants who reported cancer to get more information about their cancer. This information will be used to determine if further cancer studies need to be carried out. Because of the excess reporting of diabetes and anemia, ATSDR is doing further analyses on the data and will collect more information about these outcomes at the next data collection. This information will also be used to plan future anemia and diabetes activities.
The investigation of increased reports of hearing loss and speech impairment in children at the baseline interview has been completed. ATSDR will publish the study results in 1999. The report on the results from the most recent interviews, conducted in the fall of 1997, will be available in early 2000. ATSDR will also continue to call registrants to update the information in the TCE Subregistry. The next follow-up interviews will start in September 2000.
On the basis of current information, ATSDR cannot make medical recommendations for registrants that are different from those for the general public. Registrants who have particular health concerns should contact their personal physicians.
Where can I get more information?
Dr. Ginger Gist
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE (MS E-31)
Atlanta, GA 30333
1-888-422-8737 (toll free)
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1825 Century Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30345
Contact CDC: 800-232-4636 / TTY: 888-232-6348
