[Do workplace chemicals harm the heart?].

Cardiovascular diseases are the most important cause of mortality in industrialised countries. Contrary to cancer research, cardiovascular research mostly ignores toxic effects, apart from nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, a few pharmaceutical drugs, and the (in our countries) minor workplace problems carbon disulfide, nitrate esters, and carbon monoxide. But many workplace chemicals are known to be harmful to the cardiovascular system; beside the mentioned, also organic solvents, metals, pesticides, vinyl chloride, polychlorinated biphenyls, etc. Several toxic mechanisms in the cardiovascular system are already known: e.g., long-term development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia. To neglect cardiovascular toxicity is contrary to logic; for many cardiovascular diseases toxic effects may be constitutive; more of these effects may be seen in the future.