Celebrate Cascarรณn! At MOSTHistory Easter Weekend
VOL. I, NO. 35
K. White MetalHawks Robotics Team To Compete In FTC World Championships
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Students Assessments Help Save $1+M For Area Businesses
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Bolton’s Beliefs Are A Recipe For Diplomatic Delusions
By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Because John Bolton is five things President Trump is not -- intelligent, educated, principled, articulate and experienced -- and because of Bolton’s West Wing proximity to a president responsive to the most recent thought he has heard emanating from cable television or an employee, Bolton will soon be the second-most dangerous American. On April 9, he will be the first national security adviser who, upon taking up residence down the hall from the Oval Office, will be suggesting that the United States should seriously consider embarking on war crimes. The first two charges against the major Nazi war criminals in the 1946 Nuremberg trials concerned waging aggressive war. Emboldened by the success, as he still sees it, of America’s Iraq adventure that began 15 years ago this month, Bolton, for whom a trade war with many friends and foes is insufficiently stimulating, favors real wars against North Korea and Iran. Both have odious regimes, but neither can credibly be said to be threatening an imminent attack against America. Nevertheless, Bolton thinks bombing both might make the world safer. What could go wrong? Much is made of the fact that Bolton is implacably hostile to strongman Vladimir Putin, whom the U.S. president, a weak person’s idea of a strong person, admires. And of the fact that the president has repeatedly execrated the invasion of Iraq that Bolton advocated. So, today among the uneducable, furrowed brows express puzzlement: How can the president square his convictions with Bolton’s? Let’s say this one more
time: Trump. Has. No. Convictions. Even this scatterbrain’s Swiss cheesestyle tariffs are too sloppy to reflect forethought. He has sentiments, and visceral reactions to which he is attentive. But to speak of, say, a sincere sofa is to commit what philosophers call a “category mistake” -- sofas are incapable of sincerity -- and to speak of this president’s convictions (or plans, or policies) about this or that is a category mistake. It is frequently said that the decision to invade Iraq was the worst U.S. foreign policy decision since Vietnam. Actually, it was worse than Vietnam, and the worst in American history, for two reasons. One is that so far we probably have paid no more than 20 percent of the eventual costs of that decision that enhanced Iran’s ascendency. The other reason is that America gradually waded waist deep into Vietnam without a crossing-the-Rubicon moment -- a single clear, dispositive decision. In contrast, the protracted preparation for invading Iraq was deliberative and methodical. It is not true that, as the current president and the virulent left insist, President George W. Bush and his senior advisers “lied” about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction. They simply got things wrong, which conservatives, especially, understand was an event not without precedent in the annals of government. For the first time since World War II, when the mobilization of U.S. industrial might propelled this nation to the top rank among world powers, the American president is no longer the world’s most powerful person. The president of China is, partly because of the U.S. president’s abandonment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership without an alternative trade policy. Power is the ability to achieve intended effects. Randomly smashing crockery does not count. The current president resembles Winston Churchill’s description of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles -- “the only bull I know who carries his china closet with him.” Like the Obama administration,
whose Iran policy he robustly ridicules, Bolton seems to believe that America has the power to determine who can and cannot acquire nuclear weapons. Pakistan, which had a per capita income of $470 when it acquired nuclear weapons 20 years ago (China’s per capita income was $85.50 when it acquired them in 1964), demonstrated that almost any nation determined to become a nuclear power can do so. Bolton’s belief in the U.S. power to make the world behave and eat its broccoli reflects what has been called “narcissistic policy disorder” -- the belief that whatever happens in the world happens because of something the United States did or did not do. This is a recipe for diplomatic delusions and military overreaching. Speaking of delusions, one died last
week -- the belief that this president could be safely cocooned within layers of adult supervision. Bolton’s predecessor, H.R. McMaster, wrote a brilliant book (“Dereliction of Duty”) on the failure of officials, particularly military leaders, who knew better but did not resist the stumble into the Vietnam disaster. McMaster is being replaced because he would have done his duty regarding the impulses of the most dangerous American. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group. George F. Will writes a twice-weekly column on politics and domestic and foreign affairs. He began his column with The Post in 1974, and he received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977.
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New Hidalgo County Courthouse Schematic Designs Approved Current Cost Estimates 3% Under Budget The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court last week approved the schematic designs for the new Hidalgo County Courthouse and authorized the architects to move forward to the Design Development Phase. Project Architects HDR, working with local architecture firm ERO, reported that all user groups signed off on the schematic design, stating that the plans meet their needs, even as space was cut from 374,000 to 351,000 square feet. “We are pleased to announce that the schematic design is 100 percent complete,” said HDR Courthouse Planner and Project Manager John Niesen. “This is another milestone for the County, as we do not foresee significant changes, and can move forward.” Based on the schematic design, the cost to build the base structure is $113 million, which is 3 percent under budget. The base structure includes the building, judges’ parking, Sally Port for the secure transfer of prisoners, and the central plant building, said Niesen. Local architect Eli Ochoa said the schematic design sets the road map on how to proceed while staying within budget. “We’re ready and clear to proceed to the next step,” Ochoa said. Precinct 2 Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu recognized the project architects for their efforts. “We want to win an award for having the cheapest yet most efficient new courthouse,
and not worry so much about the bells and whistles it might have,” Cantu said. The architects worked continuously with all departments in assuring them they would have the space needed to operate and were able to reduce square footage from the building, therefore lowering the total cost. “We were able to reduce space due to electronic filing, eliminating the need for extra storage space,” added Niesen. Although the square footage was reduced, all of the stakeholders in the courthouse went over the schematic design and approved it, are in agreement, and have signed off on it. “In cutting square footage, I want to be sure we don’t cut so much we prevent future growth,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner David L. Fuentes. “We want to be sure this building is structured to support our growth, and be functional 50, 60 or 70 years from now.” Courthouse Project Manager Brian McIntyre said Jacobs reviewed the plans and conducted their own cost estimate and worked with the architects prior to finalizing the schematic design and recommended the Court to move forward to the next phase. “We have worked very well with all the departments and working together we are getting you the building you need,” said McIntyre. “Jacobs recommends the Notice to Proceed, we believe the schematic design meets all your requirements and needs.” Precinct 4 Commissioner Joseph Palacios credited Jacobs for its role in keeping the project on track and on budget.
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Student Assessments Help Save $1+M For Area Businesses
While just starting its second year, a program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley already has helped local businesses save more than a million dollars. The South Texas Industrial Assessment Center, housed in the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science, sends undergraduate and graduate students to local manufacturers to assess operations and find ways the businesses can save energy and streamline processes. “We try to reduce their energy consumption, their waste, in order for them to increase profits,” said Raul Barbosa, a UTRGV senior majoring in mechanical engineering and accounting. The center is funded by a $1.25 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The service, which can potentially save millions of dollars, is free to eligible businesses. An online application is available online at http://www.utrgv.edu/iac/. To qualify for a free IAC assessment, the applicant must: • Be a U.S. manufacturer. • Have yearly energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million. • Be within 150 miles of the IAC. Dr. Hiram Moya, associate director for the South Texas IAC and a UTRGV assistant professor in the Manufacturing and Indus-
Here, Linda Navarro, a UTRGV senior majoring in civil engineering, and Jesus Leal, a UTRGV senior majoring in manufacturing engineering, evaluate a manufacturing business during an on-site assessment of operations. The UTRGV STIAC is the only one in the UT System and only one of two in Texas. (UTRGVPhoto by Maria Elena Hernandez)
trial Engineering department, encouraged any interested business who might not meet the qualifications to call the South Texas IAC, as some exemptions are made. “This is a great program. This is a winwin-win for all,” said Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough, UTRGV associate dean for External Affairs and Innovation. “First of all, it’s a win for the industry and the local public. Then, the second win is for the students.
The third win is for the university and the faculty.” And the savings for local industries could have an even larger impact on the community. “In turn, they can actually double up the entire economy in the Valley,” he said. The businesses that participate in essence get a team of engineers and trained faculty to help them cut costs.
they have given me over the years. I look forward to completing this next term.” “When I came in, the city had been neglected so much. We had so many needs, and we just started working on them one by one,” Salinas explained. “We didn’t have to spend time making plans and doing studies. All you had to do was drive around town to see what was needed.” For Salinas, infrastructure was the primary target. “There were a lot of things that we needed. We need to expand quite a few streets and roads and the drainage that goes with that,” Salinas said. “We did as many of those with general operating funds. We used a pay-as-you-go approach. We could have done it with bonds, but we knew that would really add to the burden of Mission taxpayers. We used bonds only when we absolutely had to.”
With more than $89.9 million in infrastructure investments since the start of his administration, Salinas said the city has almost been rebuilt from the ground up. “We have a new library, a new bridge, new roads, much better drainage, repaved streets, new parks, rebuilt parks, recreation areas, water lines, new sewer lines, new city hall, new police station, new fire stations, new sidewalks, a hike and bike trail, and so many more things. We’ve made the city more livable, more attractive. That’s why Mission is growing by leaps and bounds.” Salinas points out that the continued growth had benefitted Mission residents. “In 1998, the city’s certified tax roll was at $874.3 million. In 2017, we were at $4.1 billion, that’s billion with a “B.” So our property values have grown 472%. That’s mostly from growth in new residential, commercial and industrial construction. That has allowed
“It’s a small army that comes in, and they’re evaluating everything from the lighting, air conditioning, motors,” said Danny Marez, a senior key account representative for the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, one of the center’s community partners. “They evaluate the entire property.” Marez and Alejandro Cepeda, the energy efficiency and conservation coordinator for Brownsville PUB, are working with Moya to find sites for students to assess in Brownsville. “We have very strong partners with Brownsville PUB and our other energy providers in Hidalgo County, and they help us identify companies that would really benefit,” Moya said. Moya said feedback from the companies has been outstanding. “I’m very impressed with the students,” Cepeda said. “They take the lead … They are doing a wonderful job.” “The students are bringing a lot of recognition to the school,” he said. Moya said the center, while just entering its second year, has lots of opportunities to grow. “I think we’re making a strong impact both in the community and on the student population, and we are really looking forward to helping more companies in the near future,” he said.
Mayor Norberto Salinas Announces Bid For Another Term As Mission Mayor A year after Norberto Salinas was first elected Mayor of Mission twenty years ago, the city’s tax rate was $0.62 per $100 of property valNorberto Salinas uation. Today, it stands at just $0.4862, a drop of more than 21% in the property taxes Mission residents pay. The city’s election is set for this May. “Today, I am announcing my commitment to continue serving the residents of Mission for one more term. We have several projects that we are working on that I would like to complete before I retire from elected office,” Salinas said. “I am asking for the continued support of Mission residents, the same support
us to be able to cut taxes almost every year. While the county and other cities are increasing taxes, we’ve been smart about only doing what we need and can afford.” However, as much as the city’s growth and development has been critical to the city’s success, Salinas points to the housing rehab program the city instituted and expanded during this tenure. “We’ve remodeled 349 housing units, mostly for elderly residents. We’ve invested $11.49 million into this segment of our community. Some of these houses would have eventually had to be torn down. But, we worked with the homeowners and made them better, so they can stay here. It brings up the property values and makes our neighborhoods better and safer.” Salinas pointed to the work done by Mission Economic Development Council
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K. White MetalHawks Robotics Team To Compete In FTC World Championships The Kenneth White Jr. High MetalHawks FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team 13521 will represent Mission CISD and the Rio Grande Valley at the FTC World Championship on April 1821, in Houston, TX. The MetalHawks team will be the first FTC team from the Rio Grande Valley to ever compete in the FTC World Championships. MetalHawks will be competing against teams from the United States and 23 other countries. The MetalHawks earned their spot after traveling to Athens, GA on March 7th and participating in the FTC South Super-Regional Championship Tournament. There, the MetalHawks competed against 35 teams from 14 other states in the southeastern United States within their division. The MetalHawks were one of three middle schools participating in this tournament; however, regardless of the age difference, they performed extremely well, ending the tournament ranked
17th in their division. As part of the FTC competition, students work in teams to design, build, program and operate a robot that can complete a given task in less than 2 1/2 minutes. The teams match off in an alliance format, to see which robots can better complete the objectives and earn the most points for its alliance. In addition to completely building a robot from metal parts and programming the robot to respond to commands accordingly, the teams must also document their journey as they worked through the engineering and building process. This journey must be documented well in the team’s Engineering Notebook with the inclusion of detailed descriptions of the rationales for their robot design and game strategy, as well as an evident reflection of their designs, successes, and any opportunities for improvement. This process is then evaluated through a portion of the competition in which students
Five UTRGV Staff Up For UT Regents Outstanding Employee Award
Five UTRGV staff members have been selected as nominees for the 2018 UT System Regents Outstanding Employee Award (ROEA). The newly established award recognizes full-time, non-faculty employees throughout the 14 UT institutions who have shown outstanding dedication and performance. Barbara J. Garza, director of P-16 Initiatives, was nominated due to her tireless efforts to promote college readiness and access for students across the Valley. Brenda Garcia, associate director for Scholarships and Communications, was nominated for her creativity, resourcefulness and outstanding work that has allowed an improved process for supporting student recruitment and retention efforts. Rodney Gomez, executive director of Parking and Transportation, was nominated for his outstanding work in the creation and management of the UTRGV Parking and Transportation Department. Karen Dorado, director of Special
Programs and Community Relations, was nominated for her collaborative spirit and unending drive to help Valley students succeed. Dalyn Ruiz, Campus Affairs coordinator, was nominated for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of every division within UTRGV, which extends to the RGV community as a whole. “It’s important to recognize the continuous efforts of all the exceptional employees throughout the UT System, and these five nominees are reflections of the hard work and determination of staff at the UTRGV campuses,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said. The five nominees will move into a final selection process, where UT System Administration Executive Officers will review and choose awardees based on specific criteria. The selections will be made by April. Ultimately, 30 UT System employees will be awarded a Chancellor’s challenge coin, a certificate, a $10,000 monetary award, and an invitation for the awardee and guest to attend the ceremony on May 14, 2018, in Austin.
Pictured are MetalHawks Members at the FTC South SuperRegionals Championship Tournament.
present their engineering notebook in front of a panel of judges. This is the first year the MetalHawks participate in the FTC Competitions. The students representing KWJH and Mission CISD at the World Championships are Andy Rodriguez, Eric Calderon, Hugo Mireles, Gabriel Cor-
dova, Jorge Salinas, Ismael Alvarado, Steven Ramirez, Miguel Velazquez, Carlos Wong, Jordan Hernandez, Danilee Alaniz, Maritza Moreno, Alma Gomez, Jaclyn Ornelas, and Alexya Garza. The MetalHawks advancing team is coached by Mr. J. Sanchez, Ms. S. Silva, and Mr. Adrian Chapa.
McAllen Audit Shows Now Problems By Davis Rankin
McAllen city commissioners found out Monday that the city’s financial house is in order and they gave the go ahead to buy more water for the city. The Audit Partner for Grant Thornton, McAllen’s auditing firm, told commissioners that they will get a “clean audit opinion” on the city’s financial statement for fiscal year 2016-2017, “meaning they are free of material misstatement.” Angela Dunlap said she had “no scope limitation and could look at any document we needed to look at and we were able to talk to whomever we needed to talk to.” The commission’s regular meeting Monday night began as a joint meeting with trustees of the McAllen Public Utility Board (PUB). PUB trustees are elected the same as commissioners and over see sewer and water services for McAllen. Trustees and commissioners also voted to add more water to the city inventory, “to allow City of McAllen to continue to sustain a growing population.” PUB General Manager Mark Vega urged permission to apply to the Texas
Water Development Board’s State Water Implementation Fund for a $6,900,000 loan to buy 3,000 acre feet of surface water rights from Hidalgo County Irrigation District #1. That amounts to $2,300 per acre foot. Vega said adding 3,000 acre feet amounts to an additional 1 billion gallons of raw water and would bring the city water supply to 12.5 billion gallons of raw water. Finally, trustees and commissioners voted to renew McAllen’s depository bank agreement with Plains Capital Bank, extending it until July 31, 2019. City Manager Roy Rodriguez told them “We’ve been very happy with their services.”
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Celebrate Cascarón! At MOSTHistory Easter Weekend
If you have realized that Easter is coming soon and not yet decorated or bought Easter eggs, there is still time to decorate by participating in Cascarón! on Saturday, March 31, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. An Easter celebration at the Museum of South Texas History, this event is designed to welcome the whole family to decorate cascarónes, or egg shells, and take them home. Decorating and filling eggs for Easter egg hunts are part of South Texas and northeastern Mexico traditions. Many families come together to decorate eggs with paints and tissue paper and fill the empty egg shells with confetti. These eggs are then hidden to be found by young children during the Easter egg hunt. Once found, these eggs are gleefully cracked on a person’s head. It is all-around fun! A 2:45 p.m. Easter egg hunt at the museum’s Paseo area will be part of Cascarón! Other activities will include UTRGV’s Book Buzz reading Easter-related stories to families starting at 1 p.m. and another session at 2 p.m. Book Buzz’s objective is to promote literacy across the Rio Grande Valley by organizing book donations and volun-
teering within the community. Families are encouraged to bring blank egg shells to decorate at the museum. Blank and pre-painted cascarónes will be available for purchase as well, while supplies last. The decorated and confetti-filled Easter eggs can be added to the Easter egg hunt, or taken home. Families are encouraged to bring baskets to use during the egg hunt. Guests who arrive before noon will receive free admission to the Cascarón! activities and the signature exhibition, Rio Grande Legacy. The Cascarón! event is included in regular museum admission: $7 adults (ages 18+); $5 seniors with ID (ages 62+) and students with ID (ages 13+); $4 for children (ages 4 to 12); free for children ages 3 and younger. FRIENDS of the Museum are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship. For more information on the event or becoming a FRIEND of the Museum, call (956) 383-6911. The Museum of South Texas History is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square in downtown Edinburg.
(MEDC) in recruiting and expanding the business and industrial base. “Thanks to the work we’ve done with the MEDC, we’ve been able to bring a lot of new businesses into Mission. That means a lot of jobs for Mission residents. There’s more places to shop and eat. We don’t have to go out of Mission to shop and have a good time. Last year, Mission was named as one of the best cities in the nation to start a restaurant. That says quite a lot about the business atmosphere in Mission. Businesses want to come here.” In addition to the jobs new businesses bring, Salinas sees other benefits. “The new retail expansion brings in a lot of sales tax revenue, which really helps to support many of the projects we do. All this business and industrial growth means that it helps to keep taxes for our homeowners much lower than in other communities in the Valley.” Salinas added that the city’s economic
future looks bright now that the Anzalduas Bridge, jointly owned by Mission, McAllen and Hidalgo, has secured permission to start some truck traffic. “That bridge is already generating new businesses and jobs. As our traffic with Mexico increases, that means more businesses and more jobs.” Looking over the city’s growth, Salinas said the outlook is very good. “The City of Mission has been growing for the last 15 years. We’ve invested in our city where it really matters, not just in streets, parks, drainage and bringing in new businesses. We’ve been growing faster than other cities in Hidalgo County. From 1990 to 2016, Mission grew by 67.95%, compared to 64.28% for McAllen and just 50.67% for Edinburg. People are moving here because of what we have to offer.” “I want to keep working on some of our pending projects and keep making Mission the place where people want to live,” Salinas said.
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UTRGV to Host Building Healthy Communities EDINBURG, TEXAS – UTRGV’s Office of Community Engagement and the College of Health Affairs have join forces to host “Building Healthy Communities” events over the next two weeks. The activities will take place at several UTRGV Community Resource Centers throughout the Rio Grande Valley. “Building Healthy Communities” brings UTRGV students and faculty directly into the community to address diabetes awareness and education. There will be wellness activities, cooking and nutrition demonstrations, education and additional events
focusing on diabetes and health. Admission is free, and the public is invited to participate. The first community event of the month will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 3, at the Alton Recreation Center, 349 Dawes Avenue in Alton. Other scheduled events include: Wednesday, April 4, from 1-4 p.m at the Alamo Resource Center, 1429 S. Tower Road in Alamo. Thursday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the La Victoria Resource Center, 523 Gabriela Street, Rio Grande City.
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Is Your Pillow Hurting Your Health? Pillows can help or hurt, depending on their firmness and your sleep position. You probably know someone who won’t leave home without a special pillow, claiming that a particular bag of fluff or feathers is the key to a good night’s sleep. And that person may be on to something. “Anything that will make you more comfortable will improve the likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep,” says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, a sleep expert at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. But the benefits of pillows don’t go much further than comfort and positioning. Sometimes pillows even hurt your health. Pillows and pain “If your neck is bent in any way for an extended period of time, you’ll get uncomfortable,” explains Matthew O’Rourke, a physical therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He says a pillow that’s too soft or too firm often leads to neck pain. For example, if you sleep on your side with a soft pillow that doesn’t provide enough support under your neck, your head has to extend sideways to meet the pillow. If you sleep on your stomach—a position that hyperextends the neck backward—then using a firm pillow pushes the head back even farther. “If you’re on your stomach with your head to the side, you’re sleeping in a full rotation position, and that can become painful,” O’Rourke says. Likewise, sleeping on your back with too much firm support pushes the neck too far forward. Pillows can derail CPAP For people who have sleep apnea — a condition in which you stop breathing periodically during sleep — pillows can interfere with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. CPAP keeps your airway open by means of a bedside device that pushes air through a mask you wear while you sleep. “If you’re a side sleeper, the pillow can knock the mask off,” says Dr. Epstein. Sleep deprivation Losing sleep from being uncomfortable at night has consequences. Your body has less time for muscle growth, tissue repair, and other important functions that occur during sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect mood, thinking skills, and appetite. Chronic sleep deprivation increases your risk for falls, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. On the plus side Special pillows can help stave off some problems, such as heartburn symptoms. “Among lifestyle changes, elevating the head to 30 degrees can be effective. I’ve had success with patients using a wedge pillow,” says
Dr. James Mojica, the sleep lab director at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Sleeping with your upper body elevated at an angle can also reduce symptoms of sinus problems and may prevent relapses of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo — a condition in which tiny crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and cause extreme dizziness. Specially designed pillows can help people keep their CPAP masks on. “They have cutouts that the mask fits into so it won’t get knocked off,” Dr. Epstein explains. Pillow I.Q. Finding the right pillow is a matter of personal preference. You have plenty of options in today’s high-tech era: materials that conform to your shape (memory foam), keep you cool, wick away moisture, or repel mold and dust mites (which may help allergy sufferers). Some pillows even track your sleep habits and wake you with music (these can be pricey, in the hundreds of dollars). Traditional materials are also popular. Pillows made of down and feathers conform to your shape and repel dust mites, but they can be hot and expensive. Pillows made of cotton, wool, or synthetic cotton are less expensive, but they make a more attractive climate for dust mites. Keep firmness in mind. Side sleepers need a firm pillow for support. Rectangular pillows with panels on the side may help; they’re taller than standard pillows. Back and stomach sleepers may want to use thinner, softer pillows. The goal is a comfortable position that will help you sleep. “Try to get the spine in a relatively straight position. But everyone’s recipe will be a little different,” says Matthew O’Rourke, a physical therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Beware pillow promises While adjusting your sleep position can help stave off symptoms, it won’t eliminate health problems such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea — even though some pillows are marketed as solutions to snoring and sleep disorders. The only way to address sleep disorders, say both doctors, is to talk to your physician and get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
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High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Associated with Noisy Jobs 1 in 4 adults report having been exposed to loud noise at work High blood pressure and high cholesterol are more common among workers exposed to loud noise at work according to a CDC study published this month in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Researchers at CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also found that a quarter of U.S. workers – an estimated 41 million people – reported a history of noise exposure at work. “Reducing workplace noise levels is critical not just for hearing loss prevention – it may also impact blood pressure and cholesterol,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “Worksite health and wellness programs that include screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol should also target noise-exposed workers.” Loud Noise Linked to Heart Disease High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol are key risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women. Loud noise is one of the most common workplace hazards in the United States affecting about 22 million workers each year. NIOSH researchers analyzed data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the prevalence of occupational noise exposure, hearing difficulty and heart conditions within U.S. industries and occupations. They also looked at the association between
workplace noise exposure and heart disease. The analysis showed: · 2 5percent of current workers had a history of work-related noise exposure; 14 percent were exposed in the last year. · 12 percent of current workers had hearing difficulty, 24 percent had high blood pressure and 28 percent had high cholesterol. Of these cases 58 percent, 14 percent, and 9 percent, respectively, can be attributed to occupational noise exposure. “A significant percentage of the workers we studied have hearing difficulty, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol that could be attributed to noise at work,” said study co-author Liz Masterson, Ph.D. “If noise could be reduced to safer levels in the workplace, more than 5 million cases of hearing difficulty among noise-exposed workers could potentially be prevented. This study provides further evidence of an association of occupational noise exposure with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and the potential to prevent these conditions if noise is reduced. It is important that workers be screened regularly for these conditions in the workplace or through a healthcare provider, so interventions can occur. As these conditions are more common among noise-exposed workers, they could especially benefit from these screenings.” For more information on occupational hearing loss surveillance, including industry sector-specific statistics on hearing loss, tinnitus, noise exposure, and other information, please visit the Occupational Hearing Loss Surveillance webpage.