Ecological association between asbestos-related diseases and historical asbestos consumption: an international analysis

Summary Background The potential for a global epidemic of asbestos-related diseases is a growing concern. Our aim was to assess the ecological association between national death rates from diseases associated with asbestos and historical consumption of asbestos. Methods We calculated, for all countries with data, yearly age-adjusted mortality rates by sex (deaths per million population per year) for each disease associated with asbestos (pleural, peritoneal, and all mesothelioma, and asbestosis) in 2000–04 and mean per head asbestos consumption (kg per person per year) in 1960–69. We regressed death rates for the specified diseases against historical asbestos consumption, weighted by the size of sex-specific national populations. Findings Historical asbestos consumption was a significant predictor of death for all mesothelioma in both sexes (adjusted R2 =0·74, p