Summary of Radiation Research Society Online 67th Annual Meeting, Symposium on “Radiation and Circulatory Effects”

Abstract

Purpose

This article summarizes a number of presentations from a session on “Radiation and Circulatory Effects” held during the Radiation Research Society Online 67^th Annual Meeting, October 3–6 2021.

Materials and Methods

Different epidemiological cohorts were analyzed with various statistical means common in epidemiology. The cohorts included the one from the U.S. Million Person Study and the Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study. In addition, one of the contributions in our article relies on results from analyses of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, Russian emergency and recovery workers and cohorts of nuclear workers. The Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study data were analyzed with a larger series of linear and nonlinear dose-response models in addition to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model.

Results and Conclusions

The talks in this symposium showed that low/moderate acute doses at low/moderate dose rates can be associated with an increased risk of CVD, although some of the epidemiological results for occupational cohorts are equivocal. The usually only limited availability of information on well-known risk factors for circulatory disease (e.g. smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, physical activity) is an important limiting factor that may bias any observed association between radiation exposure and detrimental health outcome, especially at low doses. Additional follow-up and careful dosimetric and outcome assessment are necessary and more epidemiological and experimental research is required. Obtaining reliable information on other risk factors is especially important.

Keywords:

• Ionizing radiation
• circulatory effects
• cardiovascular diseases
• Million Person Study
• radiation workers
• Canadian fluoroscopy cohort study

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank both reviewers for their valuable comments. HS would like to thank Dr. Markus Eidemüller, Helmholtz Zentrum München, for revising his contribution.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The work of JC was supported by SIRIC Montpellier Cancer Grant INCa_Inserm_DGOS_12553, INCa-Cancéropôle GSO, AVIESAN PCSI (#ASC20025FSA), LABEX MabImprove, and Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (#ARCPJA32020060002266). The studies reported by LD were performed as part of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Million Person Study acknowledging the financial support for MPS-related science from NASA [grants # 80NSSC17M0016 and 80NSSC19M0161], U.S. DOE [grants # DE-AU0000042 and DE-AU0000046], Naval Sea Systems Command [contract # N00024-17-C-4322], CDC [grant # 5NUE1EH001315], and the U.S. NRC (grant # NRC-HQ-60-14-G-0011).

Notes on contributors

Helmut Schöllnberger

Helmut Schöllnberger, PhD, is a physicist and has worked in radiation research since the 1990s. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997–1999) and Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (1999–2001). After a guest professor position at Salzburg University (2001–2002) he worked as EU Marie Curie Individual Fellow at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands (2002–2004). In 2008 he obtained his habilitation at Salzburg University (Venia in Biophysics) and subsequently continued his research at Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Lawrence T. Dauer

Lawrence T. Dauer, PhD, is Attending Physicist in the Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a former Board member and current Council member of the NCRP. He is the Scientific Director of the Million Person Study. He served 7 years on ICRP Committee 3, Radiation Protection in Medicine.

Richard Wakeford

Richard Wakeford, PhD, is an Honorary Professor in Epidemiology in the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at The University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Prof. Wakeford is specialized in radiation epidemiology and has served on UNSCEAR, ICRP, NCRP, UK and EU committees throughout his career.

Julie Constanzo

Julia Constanzo, PhD, is Research Scientist in Professor J-P. Pouget's Laboratory at IRCM, Inserm France. She obtained her PhD in Physics and Radiobiology in 2013 (University Lyon, France). Her research project focuses on non-targeted effects caused by targeted radionuclide therapy including both intercellular communications and the immune response.

Ashley Golden

Ashley Golden, PhD, is a Biostatistician and Director of Health Studies at Oak Ridge Associated Universities where she conducts multidisciplinary projects in occupational epidemiology, radiation exposure and dosimetry, medical surveillance, and environmental assessments. Dr. Golden has been a collaborator on the Million Person Study of Low-Dose Health Effects for eight years.