High phthalate, plasticizer metabolite concentrations tied to metabolic syndrome in young
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Key takeaways:
- In the NHANES cohort, 3% of adolescents and young adults had metabolic syndrome.
- Higher phthalate and plasticizer concentrations were tied to higher odds of developing metabolic syndrome.
SAN ANTONIO — Higher concentrations of some phthalate and plasticizer metabolites were associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome in U.S. adolescents and young adults, according to an analysis presented at ObesityWeek.
“Adolescence represents a pivotal stage in human development marked by rapid physical changes and exposure to toxic chemicals or the onset of metabolic disorders can disrupt normal growth processes and increase the risk of long-term health issues,” Deepali K. Ernest, MPH, PhD candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at the University of Texas Health School of Public Health, said during the presentation. “In the U.S., the prevalence of metabolic syndrome has been on the rise since the late 1980s, affecting almost 4.5% of adolescents and young adults.”
Ernest and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 2,168 adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25 years (mean age, 18.1 years; 49.7% female) from the 2011 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers evaluated urinary profiles from all participants containing the 13 common phthalate and plasticizer metabolites and classified urinary concentrations into quartiles to assess the association between metabolic syndrome and quartile status.
Overall, 3% of the cohort had metabolic syndrome.
Higher odds of metabolic syndrome were observed among participants exposed to higher concentrations of:
- mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (OR = 3.13; P = .046);
- mono-isoutyl phthalate (OR = 3.63; P = .035);
- mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (OR = 3.5; P = .049);
- mono-benzyl phthalate (OR = 3.72; P = .032); and
- mono-n-butyl phthalate (OR = 4.44; P = .045).
“Moving forward, our first recommendation is for similar studies to be conducted in both younger and older populations to get a better understanding of how age influences the relationship between plasticizers and metabolic health outcomes and, also, to identify potential differences in vulnerability and risk factors that can be used to inform public health interventions in the future,” Ernest said. “Our final recommendation is to conduct a prospective longitudinal study to examine the long-term effects of plasticizers on metabolic health and cardiovascular risk. Such a study would basically provide valuable insights into how prolonged exposure to these phthalates and plasticizers impacts cardiometabolic health over time, helping us make more informed public health recommendations to facilitate better metabolic health, especially among young adolescents and young adults.”
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Xie L, et al. Oral-058. Presented at: ObesityWeek; Nov. 3-6, 2024; San Antonio.
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