The use of cosmetics has resulted in exposure to PFAS becoming a serious public health concern, leading to restrictions on their use. Almost every American blood sample tested by the US Biological Surveillance Program contains at least one type of PFAS, and they have been found in the drinking water supplies of more than 200 million people in the United States. A recent review of the potential health effects of these chemicals found that exposure to some of the chemicals may be associated with preeclampsia, liver enzyme levels, hyperlipidemia, decreased immune response. vaccine and low birth weight, although a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established. .
Many PFAS have a similar molecular structure to natural fatty acids, resulting in similar chemical properties and effects on the human body. Fatty acids act on a class of protein molecules found in cells called peroxisome-activating receptors (PPARs), which act as fat and insulin sensors and are important regulators of the formation and growth of new fat cells (fat cells). Chemically and structurally similar PFAS compounds can interact with the same PPARs, suggesting a possible mechanism by which these substances interfere with their regulatory behavior and influence disease risk diabetes, especially in women aged 40 to 60 years.
Experimental studies with cell cultures suggest that exposure to cosmetics with high levels of PFAS found in some people may, in combination with PPAR function, lead to increased fat cell production, instead metabolism of fats and sugars, and abnormal inflammatory responses.
Study the sample and its results
The sample group for this study was selected as part of the National Women’s Health Study (SWAN), an ongoing, multi-site, multi-ethnic, and community-based prospective study of middle-aged women with to menopause. A total of 3,302 menopausal participants aged 42 to 52 years who met the selection criteria for SWAN at seven sites in the US between 1996 and 1997 were recruited and the baseline clinical trial was repeated annually. .
The SWAN-Multi-Pollutant (SWAN-MPS) study was launched in 2016 to evaluate the role of environmental pollutants in chronic diseases during and after menopause. It analyzed archived blood and urine samples from 1,400 study participants, which had been collected by SWAN since the third follow-up (1999-2000). They were tested for the presence of seven environmental chemicals, including PFAS, an ingredient in most cosmetics.
The authors left a final sample of 1,237 women with a mean age of 49.4 years who were followed from 1999 to 2000, excluding women with diabetes and participants with insufficient data. on the Swan-MBS baseline, through 2017. There were 102 cases. of diabetes during 17,005 person-year follow-up: 6 cases per 1,000 person-years. Compared with people without the disease, people with diabetes who were black from Southeast Michigan (a more socioeconomically backward area) had lower levels of literacy, were less physically active, and ate less food. more energy and a higher PMI at baseline.
The authors observed, “Higher serum PFAS levels are associated with a higher risk of diabetes in middle-aged women.“They also noted,”The overall effect of the PFAS mixture was greater than the effect on the individual PFAS, suggesting a potential synergistic or synergistic effect of multiple PFAS on diabetes risk.“
Serum PFAS levels were classified into high/medium/low exposure groups (reptiles), and the hazard ratio (HR) for incident diabetes was calculated by comparing the disease in ‘high’ or ‘medium’ reptiles with the lowest incidence of tertile (reference group). The team found that combined exposure to seven different PFASs had a stronger association with diabetes risk than with the individual compounds. Women in the ‘high’ terror group for all seven had a 2.62 times higher risk of diabetes than those in the ‘low’ group, while the increased risk was associated with each individual’s PFAS range from 36% to 85%, suggesting potential synergistic or synergistic effects. of multiple PFAS on diabetes risk.
The strength of the association between combined exposure rates and incident diabetes rates also suggests that PFAS in cosmetics may have a clinically significant impact on diabetes risk. They say, “Given the widespread exposure to PFAS in the general population, the expected benefit of reducing exposure to these common chemicals could be substantial.“
This prospective cohort study supports the hypothesis that exposure to PFAS in cosmetics, individually and in combination, may increase the risk of diabetes in middle-aged women. Although the size of the effect in men and other populations not included in their study is unknown, if these results also apply to men as well as to individuals of all ages and ethnicities. race regardless of location, about 370,000 (about 25%) of the 1.5 million new Americans diagnosed with diabetes each year can be attributed to PFAS exposure. These findings suggest that PFAS may be an important risk factor for diabetes and has a significant public health impact.
The authors conclude that, “Reducing exposure to these ‘permanent and ubiquitous chemicals’ even before middle age could be an important preventive measure to reduce diabetes risk. Policy changes to drinking water and consumer products could prevent population-wide exposure.“
They suggest that regulation focusing on certain compounds in cosmetics may not be effective and that standard PFAS should be limited to ‘classes’. Finally, they point out that clinicians should be aware of PFAS as an undiagnosed risk factor for diabetes and be willing to counsel patients about potential sources of exposure and health risks. .
Source: Medindia
