A follow up study of the health effects caused by methyl mercury exposure in a population living the methyl mercury polluted area.

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MD patients typically have neurological signs such as ataxia, speech impairment, and constriction of visual fields, and sensory disturbance. But not every MD patients have typical MeHg poisoning, and chronic MD patients in particular show subclinical features. There are a few studies investigating subjective complaints and lower ADL than a control population and that neurological signs, subjective complaints, and ADL were influenced by aging and complications accompanying aging. Some of the medical and social issues which are still being debated with regard to MD and MeHg pollution are the long-term influence of MeHg poisoning and the impact on the overall population in the methyl mercury polluted area. Althoughit is likely to be very difficult to clarify these issues because about four decades have passed and the MeHg poisoning has possibly been modified by various factors, we should attempt to demonstrate the health status not only of MD patients but also other inhabitants living in … More the polluted area. The aim of the present study was to document the subjective complaints and the disability of daily living, and to analyze their structure in an overall population in the MeHg polluted area and to investigate the relationship between these health effect and methyl mercury exposure. Fishing villages have a higher prevalence of many complaints and disability than other area. By the factor analysis, four factors were obtained and the total cumulative eigenvalue percentage was 47.0%. Factor 1, whose eigenvalue % was the highest (23.1%) of all, consisted of staggering, vertigo and dizziness, heart-complaint, stiffness, and tremor. Factor 3 was arthrederma, arthralgia, tinnitus and difficulty of hearing, and urinary-complaints. Factor 4 was muscular atrophy and weakness. Fishing villages had higher scores in all factors than others. The results of the correlation with factor scores and RBC Hg or fish consumption showed that there was obviously relationship between factor scores and fish consumption or RBC Hg expect for a little relationships between the first and third factor scores and fish consumption in males. A factor analysis also documented that the disability was composed of two factors : physical disability factor and communication disability factor. The factors score are higher of the inhabitants in polluted area than the control. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the disability is influenced by aging, the certification of Minamata disease and the difference of residential areas : These results suggests that the disability of daily living in a population living in the methyl mercury polluted area has been advanced by mercury exposure, aging, and something related with residential areas. Less