Nearly seven out of every ten World Trade Center responders suffered lung problems during or after their work at ground zero. High rates of lung “abnormalities” continued years after the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to a new health study. The fifth anniversary of the destruction of the 110-story towers has passed, and all Americans have been reminded of how really bad that day was. Mount Sinai Medical Center issued the results of the largest study on September 11th-related health effects. The study focused primarily on the so-called “World Trade Center cough,” a phenomenon that was little understood immediately after the attacks, but has become the chief concern of health experts and advocates. In lung function tests, responders had abnormalities at a rate double that expected in the general population. These abnormalities persisted for months and in some cases years after the exposure, the study found. Other findings highlighted by the study include:

• Almost 70% of World Trade Center responders had new or worsened lung symptoms during or after the attacks.

• Among responders who had no health symptoms before the attacks, 61% developed lung symptoms while working on the toxic pile.

• One-third of those tested had abnormal lung function tests.

The findings are based on medical exams conducted between July 2002 and April 2004 on 9,500 Ground Zero workers, including construction workers, law enforcers, firefighters, transit workers, volunteers, and others. The Mount Sinai program examined nearly 12,000 people overall, most of whom agreed to allow their information to be used in the study. The data shows the illnesses tended to be worst among those who were the first to arrive at the site. The hospital has been the focal point of New York research on September 11th-related illnesses, and thousands have sought treatment there.

Source: Claims Guides

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