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Chemicals Widely Found in Plastics, Processed Food Linked to Elevated Blood Pressure
Toxics Link Source: FARS News Agency, Date: , 2013
TEHRAN
(FNA)- Plastic additives known as phthalates are odorless, colorless and just
about everywhere: They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach balls, plastic
wrap, intravenous tubing and -- according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention -- the bodies of most Americans Once
perceived as harmless, phthalates have come under increasing scrutiny. A
growing collection of evidence suggests dietary exposure to phthalates (which
can leech from packaging and mix with food) may cause significant metabolic and
hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development.Â
Now, new research published this Wednesday in The Journal of Pediatrics
suggests that certain types of phthalates could pose another risk to children:
compromised heart health. Drawing on data from a nationally representative
survey of nearly 3,000 children and teens, researchers at NYU Langone Medical
Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington and
Penn State University School of Medicine, have documented for the first time a
connection between dietary exposure to DEHP (di-2-ethyhexylphthalate), a common
class of phthalate widely used in industrial food production, and elevated
systolic blood pressure, a measure of pressure in the arteries when the heart
contracts.Â
"Phthalates can inhibit the function of cardiac cells and cause oxidative
stress that compromises the health of arteries. But no one has explored the
relationship between phthalate exposure and heart health in children" says
lead author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, associate professor of pediatrics,
environmental medicine and population health at NYU Langone Medical Center.
"We wanted to examine the link between phthalates and childhood blood
pressure in particular given the increase in elevated blood pressure in
children and the increasing evidence implicating exposure to environmental
exposures in early development of disease."Â
Hypertension is clinically defined as a systolic blood-pressure reading above
140 mm Hg. It's most common in people over 50 years old, although the condition
is becoming increasingly prevalent among children owing to the global obesity
epidemic. Recent national surveys indicate that 14 percent of American
adolescents now have pre-hypertension or hypertension. "Obesity is driving
the trend but our findings suggest that environmental factors may also be a
part of the problem," says Dr. Trasande. "This is important because
phthalate exposure can be controlled through regulatory and behavioral
interventions."Â
Researchers from NYU School of Medicine, the University of Washington and Penn
State University School of Medicine examined six years of data from a
nationally representative survey of the U.S. population administered by the
National Centers for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Phthalates were measured in urine samples using standard analysis techniques.
Controlling for a number of potential confounders, including race,
socioeconomic status, body mass index, caloric intake and activity levels, the
researchers found that every three-fold increase in the level of breakdown
products of DEHP in urine correlated with a roughly one-millimeter mercury
increase in a child's blood pressure. "That increment may seem very modest
at an individual level, but on a population level such shifts in blood pressure
can increase the number of children with elevated blood pressure
substantially," says Dr. Trasande. "Our study underscores the need
for policy initiatives that limit exposure to disruptive environmental
chemicals, in combination with dietary and behavioral interventions geared
toward protecting cardiovascular health."Â
This research was made possible through the generous support of KiDs of NYU
Langone, an organization of parents, physicians, and friends that supports
children's health services at New York University Langone Medical Center
through philanthropy, community service, and advocacy.Â
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