Occupational Exposure to Vegetable Oil: a Risk Factor of Blood Lipid Disorder

Few pieces of evidence are available about the association between occupational exposure to vegetable oil and the risk of blood lipid problems. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between exposure to vegetable oil and blood lipid profile in a vegetable oil factory.

This retrospective cohort study was carried out on 30 male workers exposed to vegetable oil as an exposed group and 30 male office workers as an unexposed group in a vegetable oil factory. Blood lipid profiles as total cholesterol, triglycerides, Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) were measured by analyzing the blood samples in both groups in a clinical laboratory.

There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, body weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), and physical activity. The results showed significantly higher mean levels of triglyceride and LDL in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (P < 0.001), while HDL mean levels in the exposed group were significantly lower than the unexposed group (P < 0.001).

The findings revealed the possible association between blood lipid disorders and occupational exposures to vegetable oil. Further researches are proposed to study the mechanisms of occupational respiratory and skin lipid absorptions in different types of vegetable oils.