Paresthesias Among Community Members Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster
 

Another study released linking wtc dust exposure and peripheral neuropathy. It also links co morbidity of wtc dust exposure, respiratory disease and peripheral neuropathy. This has been an ongoing advocacy by me for 13 years now, for screening and treatment of peripheral neuropathy in world trade center responders,survivors, residents, workers, and students who were exposed to the world trade center dust on and after 9/11/01. Finally, study after study is now coming out showing that link.

Paresthesias Among Community Members Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster

Paresthesias Among Community Members Exposed to the World Tr... : Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Within several years of the WTC disaster, we noted that some patients were complaining of neurologic symptoms consistent with peripheral paresthesias, prominent symptoms among patients with peripheral neuropathy.

Results: Fifty-six percent of patients reported paresthesias at enrollment 7 to 15 years following the WTC disaster. After controlling for potential confounders, paresthesias were associated with severity of exposure to the WTC dust cloud and working in a job requiring cleaning of WTC dust.

There were significantly elevated ORs (odds ratios) for paresthesias associated with respiratory symptoms and reduced lung function as measured by FEV1 -
62%of those with less than 80% expected FEV1 (Table 4)

Frequency of Report of upper and Lower Extremity Paresthesias

Many patients reported experiencing paresthesias in the year before enrolling in the WTC EHC (World Trade Center Environmental Health Center). Similar percentages of the population reported paresthesias of the upper (46%, 1446) or lower (44%, 1383) extremity. Most of those reporting paresthesias had paresthesias of both extremities (1033, or 33% of all subjects)