Prevalence and severity of abnormal lung function among US former coal miners with and without radiographic coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
Leonard H T GoKirsten S AlmbergCecile S RoseLauren M Zell-BaranDrew A HarrisMargaret TomannLee S FriedmanDolores J WeemsWendy VonhofKrista M MastelRobert A CohenPublished in: Occupational and environmental medicine (2022)
Abnormal spirometry is common among former coal miners. While ever-smoking former miners had higher rates of airflow obstruction, never-smoking former miners also demonstrated clinically significant airflow obstruction, including those without radiographic pneumoconiosis. These findings demonstrate the importance of recognising physiological as well as imaging manifestations of coal mine dust lung diseases in former miners.