Study Suggests Possible Association Between Cardiovascular Disease, Chemical Exposure

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CHICAGO– Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a manmade chemical used in the manufacture of some common household products, appears to be associated with cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease in a study of 1,216 individuals, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Surveys have suggested that PFOA (widely used in the manufacture of products such as lubricants, polishes, paper and textile coatings, and food packaging) is detectable in the blood of more than 98 percent of theU.S.population. Some evidence has suggested that an association may be biologically plausible between PFOA exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the study background.

“Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health problem. Identifying novel risk factors for CVD, including widely prevalent environmental exposures, is therefore important,” according to the study background.

Anoop Shankar, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues from the West Virginia University School of Public Health, Morgantown, examined the association between serum (blood) levels of PFOA and the presence of CVD and PAD, a marker of atherosclerosis, in a nationally representative group of adults. The study used merged data from the 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

The study suggests that increasing serum PFOA levels were positively associated with the presence of CVD and PAD, and the association appeared to be independent of confounders such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and serum cholesterol level, the authors comment.

“Our results contribute to the emerging data on health effects of PFCs [perfluoroalkyl chemicals], suggesting for the first time that PFOA exposure is potentially related to CVD and PAD. However, owing to the cross-sectional nature of the present study, we cannot conclude that the association is causal,” the authors comment.

Compared with the reference level of PFOA in quartile 1, the multivariable odds ratio among participants in quartile 4 was 2.01 for CVD and 1.78 for PAD, according to the results.
“In summary, in a representative cross-sectional sample of the U.S.population, we found that higher PFOA levels are positively associated with self-reported CVD and objectively measured PAD. Our findings, however, should be interpreted with caution because of the possibility of residual confounding and reverse causality. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm or refute our findings,” the authors conclude.

Commentary: Perfluorooctanoic Acid Exposure, Cardiovascular Disease
In a commentary, Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., M.S., of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, writes: “These results contribute to the evolving data on the adverse health effects of PFOA, suggesting that PFOA exposure may be potentially related to CVD.”
“However, a major limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the study. Given this significant limitation, causality or the temporal nature of the association between PFOA and CVD cannot be concluded from the current analysis,” Mukherjee continues.

“Although it seems clear that additional prospective research is needed to tease out the true adverse cardiovascular effects of PFOA, given the concerns raised by this and prior studies, clinicians will need to act now. From a societal point of view, it would make sense to limit or to eliminate the use of PFOA and its congeners in industry through legislation and regulation while improving water purification and treatment techniques to try and remove this potentially toxic chemical from our water supply,” Mukherjee concludes.

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Household risks: Stain repellents linked to liver damage

Researchers link stain repellent chemicals to
liver damage and possible liver disease.

High levels of two stain-resistant chemicals in the blood of adults living near a chemical plant indicated enzyme activity that could lead to liver damage and liver disease, a study found.

The study involved 47,000 people from West Virginia’s Mid-Ohio Valley and examined their exposure to perfluorinated acids PFOA and PFOS, chemicals that are used to make cookware, food packaging and fabrics. They are often used to make the materials resistant to stains and water.

The study results confirm findings of studies that involved lab animals and chemical plant workers, finding clear links between the blood levels of the chemicals and an enzyme’s activity among water districts, individuals and within the population.

While most household products only contain low levels of PFOA and PFOS, the chemicals are often formed when other fluorinated chemicals degrade in the atmosphere or break down in the body.

Almost all Americans have low levels of PFOA and PFOS in their blood. Exposure occurs through drinking water, ingesting food and inhaling dust and air.

Source: Environmental Health News

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Could chemical exposure during pregnancy make daughters fat?

Chemical exposure during pregnancy may affect
women later in life, a study found.

Okay, this type of study can cause some family rifts down the road.

According to a prospective cohort study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, women who were exposed to low doses of water and stain resistant chemicals (found in fast food packaging and household products) could have more body weight.

Men were not affected, the study found.

The two-decade study showed that women were three times more likely to gain more weight and large waists as young adults than women less exposed during development.

The chemical in question is perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and gives some credibility to the widespread concern that environmental pollution (even low concentrations of chemical exposures) may play a role in the obesity epidemic the world is currently experiencing.

The link between environmental pollution and obesity

Obesity rates in children and adults have skyrocketed and are accompanied by health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, which taxes the public health system.

Non-stick cookware can expose people to PFOA.

Individual choices such as eating processed foods, getting less activity and being oblivious about exposure to environmental chemicals can contribute to the concern.

The chemical PFOA is also known as C8 and can be found in the coating of non-stick pans, water-resistant clothing, microwave popcorn bags, stain resistant treatments on carpets and furniture, carpet cleaning agents and some paints.

Almost everyone has traces of PFOA in the blood; the chemicals are contaminating many foods and homes and they break down very slowly, so even industry efforts to use less of the chemicals in products won’t make much of a difference for a while (but it’s a good step!).

Source: Environmental Health News

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Children could be more exposed to chemicals than their mothers

Almost all U.S. citizens have the chemical PFOA in
their blood, research suggests. It's a long-lasting
environmental pollutant.

A new study measured the levels of an industrial chemical in the blood of children under 5 and their mothers, who live near the DuPont plant in West Virginia.

The researchers found that the children, who were exposed to the chemical from drinking water as well as their mom’s breast milk, had 44 percent  more of the chemical in their blood compared to the mothers.

The industrial chemical is perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, or C8).

What is C8?

PFOA, or C8, persists indefinitely in the environment. It is a toxicant and carcinogen in animals.

PFOA has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of the general US population in the low and sub-parts per billion range, and levels are higher in chemical plant employees and surrounding residents.

The chemical is used in the manufacture of Teflon nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging and other products. It can be found in house dust, carpet cleaning liquids, microwave popcorn bags and many other products.

For this study, the researchers picked people living near the DuPont plant because the chemical has contaminated drinking water supplies and the people nearby have levels of about seven times more than the US average.

The study involved 4,943 children and their mothers who were exposed to the chemical in the drinking water for at least one year.

Children more at risk: Researchers

Children seemed to concentrate the chemical more than their mothers, the researchers say. Another study linked perfluorinated compounds to reduced effectiveness of childhood vaccinations (see previous blog post).

Environmental health scientists fear that exposure to these industrial chemicals can interfere with the development of the brain, reproductive tract, hormones and possibly the immune system.

Previous research also linked exposure to these chemicals to kidney problems, including an increased risk of kidney cancer, and certain pregnancy complications.

Full results from the studies are expected in 2012.

Source: Scientific American

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