8284008 Co-exposure to occupational hazards and hypertension in petrochemical workers: risk assessment and mechanistic insights

<h3>Background</h3> Hypertension remains a major global public health challenge, with occupational environmental factors playing a significant role in its pathogenesis. Petrochemical workers chronically exposed to physical and chemical hazards demonstrate substantially higher hypertension risk than the general population. However, the combined effects and mechanistic pathways of occupational co-exposures on hypertension remain unclear. Dyslipidemia, as a critical risk factor, may mediate the association between occupational hazards and hypertension. <h3>Objective</h3> To evaluate the impact of occupational co-exposure to hazardous factors on hypertension risk among petrochemical workers, and to explore the mediating role of dyslipidemia as well as co-exposure-related bioinformatic pathways. <h3>Methods</h3> This cohort study analyzed 11,025 petrochemical workers in Quangang District, Fujian Province, China (2013-2022). We assessed exposure levels to physical (e.g., heat, noise) and chemical (e.g., CO, SO₂, benzene) hazards. Poisson regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression evaluated exposure effects, while mediation analysis with E-value sensitivity testing examined dyslipidemia’s mediating role. Bioinformatics approaches identified co-exposure-related genes and protein pathways associated with hypertension. <h3>Results</h3> Significant associations were observed between occupational hazards and hypertension risk, with evident interactions between physical and chemical factors. Co-exposure synergistically increased hypertension risk. Dyslipidemia mediated 4.17% of the co-exposure-hypertension association. Bioinformatics analysis identified 36 core genes linking occupational co-exposures to hypertension, primarily enriched in oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and the renin-angiotensin system pathways. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Occupational co-exposure to hazardous factors may synergistically increase hypertension risk among petrochemical workers, with dyslipidemia serving as a partial mediator. The underlying mechanisms of co-exposure effects potentially involve oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and the renin-angiotensin system pathway.