Conclusions
The silica-exposed workers without a diagnosis of pneumoconiosis had a higher RA hospitalization rate than the general population. Our analysis re-confirms the link between silica exposure and RA, while also suggesting that the severity of RA is increased by silica. Since the SAR did not increase with the duration of silica exposure, further studies with longer follow-up of silica-exposed workers are needed.
Few studies have examined rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk and severity in Korean workers exposed to silica. We compared the hospitalization r










