Teachers more likely to die from autoimmune diseases —Study

Teachers are more likely to die from autoimmune diseases than people in other professions, a study on occupational hazard, has revealed.

An autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack healthy cells and organs in the body.

The study also shows that farmers have a higher risk of death from such diseases while waitresses and book keepers do not

The research, which reviewed more than 300,000 death certificates and 50,000 deaths linked to autoimmune diseases across 26 states in the United States, was conducted by researchers from the University of Connecticut.

Findings from the report said the mortality rate from autoimmune diseases was twice among teachers than other professions.

The study also noted that the death rate was 12 per cent higher for secondary/high schoolteachers than their colleagues in the primary or elementary school.

According to WebMD, an online health resource, more than 80 diseases, including cancer and heart diseases are linked to autoimmune diseases.

One of the researchers, Dr. Stephen Walsh, however, has asked teachers not to panic.

According to him, the study may have highlighted a unique health challenge among people who sign up for the profession as well as environmental hazard in which teachers work.

“This was not released to be alarming. But it is clear that something is going on among school teachers. Many of them have health problems. A new group of people enter the profession every year; people who become at risk when they enter the classroom,” he said.

However, a Virologist with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sunday Omilabu, said there was need for more research on other diverse populations to establish the study.

According to him, microbial infections as well as genetics can cause autoimmune disease.

He said, “You may need to also determine whether they are due to microbial infections or genes. If one has microbial infection, it may override the immune system, just like you have with HIV/AIDS. One can also inherit the gene. Some children were born with defect in their immune system. We have a good number of them in Nigeria. But, the correlation needs to be defined. More studies would establish it and then we can start intervention measures. We need to know the ages of the affected teachers because autoimmune diseases are common in old age.”