Urinary BPA levels tied to metabolic risks in reproductive-aged women

Obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic disruption in Korean women of reproductive age are tied to higher urinary bisphenol A levels, study data show.

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Hyejin Lee, MD, PhD, of the division of endocrinology and metabolism, department of internal medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine in Korea, and colleagues evaluated data from 296 healthy women of reproductive age (median age, 36 years) from the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital outpatient clinic to determine the association between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and insulin resistance and obesity.

High-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectroscopy were used to measure urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP).

BMI (P < .01), waist circumference (P < .01), fasting serum insulin (P < .01) and homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; P = .01) were related to BPA, whereas MEHHP, MEOHP and MnBP were not.

After adjustment for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption status, total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL, BPA levels remained positively associated with BMI (P = .03) and waist circumference (P = .01). After adjustment for other variables, BPA levels were associated with fasting insulin (P = .01) and HOMA-IR values (P = .01).

Compared with metabolically health participants, metabolically unhealthy participants had higher urinary BPA levels (P = .01).

“Urinary BPA levels are positively associated with insulin resistance and obesity, independent of age, social factors (smoking and alcohol) and lipid profiles in Korean reproductive-aged women,” the researchers wrote. “Because younger individuals with metabolic issues are naturally more likely to suffer from related complications over their life spans, early detection of the development of insulin resistance and metabolic disturbance is critical. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm this association and to devise strategies to decrease the development of insulin resistance and obesity.” – by Amber Cox

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Perspective

PERSPECTIVE

R. Thomas Zoeller

Hong and colleagues studied the relationship between urinary bisphenol A (BPA) and measures of metabolic health in 296 otherwise healthy, reproductive-aged women between 30 and 49 years of age. Urinary BPA was positively associated with BMI, waist circumference, fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR, an estimate of insulin resistance. The authors argue that a strength of the study was the homogeneity of the study population with similar lifestyles and exposed to similar environments. They also recognize that the cross-sectional design represents a potential weakness of the study. However, this study now contributes to an increasing literature showing that BPA can affect pancreatic beta-cell function in a manner consistent with that of insulin resistance (Nadal A, et al. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2017; doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.01.014) and is associated with other metabolic and endocrine disorders, as well as cancer in many large epidemiological studies. Thus, taken together, the evidence that this ubiquitous chemical — BPA— is affecting human health on a global scale is becoming overwhelming.

R. Thomas Zoeller, PhD
Professor, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Disclosure: Zoeller reports no relevant financial disclosures.

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Source:

Hong SH, et al. Clin Endocrinol. 2016;doi:10.1111/cen.13270.