MEASURES DESIGNED TO PREVENT ENDEMIC FLUOROSIS CAUSED BY BURNING COAL IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF MOST RESIDENTS IN THE AREA OF GUIZHOU, CHINA, BUT NOT OF THE ELDERLY

Our aim was to evaluate the health of the residents living in an area of the coal-burning type of endemic fluorosis, particularly the elderly, after five years of integrated attempts to control this disease (e.g., by the adaptation of stoves and improved health education). A total 153 individuals living in this area and 167 residents of an area unaffected by fluorosis were compared with respect to the numbers of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets (PLT), the level of hemoglobin (HGB) in the blood, and the serum levels, measured with biochemical procedures, of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), uric acid (UA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CREA). The level of education and the family economic status were also surveyed. The results showed that for the individuals below 60 years of age living in the area of endemic fluorosis, these biological parameters were similar to those of the controls. However, for the residents aged 60 years or older in the fluorosis area, the values for RBCs, HGB, PLTs, and BUN were all decreased, and levels of ALT, AST, and CREA were elevated. No differences in the level of education or family economic status were present in the residents aged 60 or more years living in the fluorosis and non-fluorosis areas. These findings indicate that even though integrated control results in an obvious improvement of the health of the individuals below 60 years of age in the area of the coal-burning type of endemic fluorosis, the health of elderly residents, aged >60 years, in the fluorosis area was not significantly improved, possibly because their fluorosis was more severe as a result of having been present for a longer duration.