Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026. Vol. 71. № 2

DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-26-32

T.V. Azizova, M.B. Moseeva, E.S. Grigoryeva

Analysis of Cerebrovascular Disease Incidence Risk
in the Cohort of Mayak Production Association Workers

Southern Urals Federal Medical Biophysics Research Centre, Ozyorsk, Russia

Contact person: T.V. Azizova, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Purpose: To estimate cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) incidence risk in the cohort of Mayak Production Association (PA) workers occupationally chronically exposed to ionizing radiation.

Material and methods: Study cohort included 22237 Mayak PA workers. Information about occupational history as well as external gamma- and internal alpha-radiation doses absorbed in liver were obtained from the “Mayak Workers Dosimetry System – 2013”. Medical data and data on risk factors as of the end of 2018 were obtained from the “Clinic” medical dosimetry database. Relative risk (RR) and excess RR (ERR) per unit of external or internal dose adjusted for other factors were estimated by the maximum likelihood method using AMFIT module of EPICURE software.

Results: 9469 cases of CeVD (I60–I69 ICD-10 codes) were identified during the follow-up period. Analysis revealed ERR per 1 Gy of external gamma-radiation dose absorbed in liver statistically significantly above zero: 0.37 (95 % confidence interval, CI, 0.27–0.47) among males and 0.47 (95 % CI 0.31–0.66) among females over the whole dose range. ERR/Gy estimate for external exposure statistically significantly decreased with increasing workers’ attained age (males and females) and with increasing employment duration (females). Estimates of ERR per 1 Gy of internal alpha-radiation dose absorbed in liver were also statistically significantly above zero, i.e. 0.31 (95 % CI 0.10–0.59) among males and 0.32 (95 % CI 0.11–0.61) among females over the whole dose range. There were no heterogeneity between ERR/Gy estimates for CeVD incidence in relation to internal exposure dose between attained age groups either among males or females. While there were heterogeneity in ERR/Gy estimates for CeVD incidence in relation to employment duration in the whole cohort and among females; at this ERR/Gy for internal exposure among females statistically significantly decreased with increasing employment duration. It was shown that risk estimate was significantly influenced by the adjustment for another dose in case of combined exposure and to a lesser extent by the adjustments for non-radiation factors.

Conclusion: The present study of Mayak PA workers revealed statistically significant relationship between CeVD incidence and total external gamma-radiation or internal alpha-radiation dose absorbed in liver. 

Keywords: cerebrovascular diseases, risk, incidence, chronic occupational radiation exposure, PA Mayak

For citation: Azizova TV, Moseeva MB, Grigoryeva ES. Analysis of Cerebrovascular Disease Incidence Risk in the Cohort of Mayak Production Association Workers. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026;71(2):26–32. (In Russian). DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-26-32

References

1. Azizova T.V., Muirhead C.R., Druzhinina M.B., Grigoryeva E.S., Vlasenko E.V., Sumina M.V., O’Hagan J.A., Zhang W., Haylock R.G.E., Hunter N. Cerebrovascular Diseases in the Cohort of Workers First Employed at Mayak PA in 1948–1958. Radiat Res. 2010;174;6:851–864. Doi: 10.1667/RR1928.1.
2. Azizova T.V., Haylock R.G.E., Moseeva M.B., Bannikova M.V., Grigoryeva E.S. Cerebrovascular Diseases Incidence and Mortality in an Extended Mayak Worker Cohort 1948 – 1982. Radiat Res. 2014;182;5:529–544. Doi: 10.1667/RR13680.1.
3. Kashcheev V.V., Chekin S.Yu., Maksioutov M.A., Tumanov K.A., Menyalo A.N., Kochergina E.V., Kashcheeva P.V., Gorsky A.I., Shchukina N.V., Karpenko S.V., Ivanov V.K. Radiation-Epidemiological Study of Cerebrovascular Diseases in the Cohort of Russian Recovery Operation Workers of the Chernobyl Accident. Health Phys. 2016;111;2:192–197. Doi: 10.1097/HP.0000000000000523.
4. UNSCEAR. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. UNSCEAR 2008 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Volume I. Annex B: Exposures of the Public and Workers from Various Sources of Radiation. New York, United Nations, 2010. 202 p.
5. Napier B.A. The Mayak Worker Dosimetry System (MWDS-2013): an Introduction to the Documentation. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2017;176;1–2:6–9. Doi: 10.1093/Rpd/Ncx020.
6. Азизова Т.В., Тепляков И.И., Григорьева Е.С., Власенко Е.В., Сумина М.В., Дружинина М.Б., Беляева З.Д., Крупенина Л.Н. Медико-дозиметрическая база данных «Клиника» работников ПО «Маяк» и их семей // Медицинская радиология и радиационная безопасность. 2009. Т.54. №5. С. 26–35 [Azizova T.V., Teplyakov I.I., Grigor’yeva Ye.S., Vlasenko Ye.V., Sumina M.V., Druzhinina M.B., Belyayeva Z.D., Krupenina L.N. Medical and Dosimetric Database Clinic of Workers of the Mayak Production Association and their Families. Meditsinskaya Radiologiya i Radiatsionnaya Bezopasnost’ = Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2009;54;5:26–35 (In Russ.)].
7. Vasilenko E.K., Khokhryakov V.F., Miller S.C., Fix J.J., Eckerman K., Choe D.O., Gorelov M., Khokhryakov V.V., Knyasev V., Krahenbuhl M.P., Scherpelz R.I., Smetanin M., Suslova K., Vostrotin V. Mayak Worker Dosimetry Study: an Overview. Health Phys. 2007;93;3:190–206. Doi: 10.1097/01.HP.0000266071.43137.0e.
8. Preston D., Lubin J., Pierce D., McConney M. Epicure User’s Guide. Seattle, Hirosoft International Corporation. 1993. 329 p.
9. Yamada M., Wong F.L., Fujiwara S., Akahoshi M., Suzuki G. Non-Cancer Disease Incidence in Atomic Bomb Survivors, 1958–1998. Radiat Res. 2004;161;6:622–632. Doi: 10.1667/rr3183.
10. Cha E.S., Zablotska L.B., Bang Y.J., Lee W.J. Occupational Radiation Exposure and Morbidity of Circulatory Disease among Diagnostic Medical Radiation Workers in South Korea. Occup Environ Med. 2020;77;11:752–760. Doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106326.

 PDF (RUS) Full-text article (in Russian)

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Financing. The study had no sponsorship.

Contribution. Article was prepared with equal participation of the authors.

Article received: 20.01.2026. Accepted for publication: 25.02.2026.