Adiposity and glycemic control in children exposed to perfluorinated compounds
Clara Amalie G Timmermann1, Laura I Rossing, Anders Grøntved
1Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health (C.A.G.T., L.I.R., C.D., P.G., F.N., T.K.J.), and Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics (A.G., M.R.-L., L.B.A.), University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; and Department of Biostatistics (K.D.S., T.S.), University of Copenhagen, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Childhood exposure to perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) was linked to higher insulin and triglyceride levels in overweight children. These findings in 8- to 10-year-olds require confirmation in longitudinal studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are widely used industrial chemicals.
- Concerns exist regarding the potential health effects of PFCs on children's metabolic health.
- Childhood obesity and metabolic dysfunction are significant public health issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between childhood exposure to PFCs and adiposity.
- To examine the relationship between PFC exposure and markers of glycemic control in children.
Main Methods:
- A subset of the European Youth Heart Study (Danish component) involving 499 children aged 8-10 years was analyzed.
- Measurements included body mass index, skinfold thickness, waist circumference, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, glucose, and triglyceride levels.
- Plasma PFC concentrations were measured, and linear regression models were used to assess associations.
Main Results:
- No association was found between PFC exposure and adiposity or glycemic control markers in normal-weight children.
- In overweight children, increased perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) plasma concentrations were significantly associated with higher insulin, beta-cell activity/function, insulin resistance, and triglyceride levels.
Conclusions:
- Childhood exposure to higher levels of certain PFCs is associated with adverse metabolic markers in overweight children.
- The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and reverse causation cannot be ruled out.
- Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these findings and understand the long-term implications.
Objective:
Our objective was to explore whether childhood exposure to perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs), widely used stain- and grease-repellent chemicals, is associated with adiposity and markers of glycemic control.
Materials And Methods:
Body mass index, skinfold thickness, waist circumference, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, glucose, and triglyceride concentrations were assessed in 8- to 10-year-old children in 1997 in a subset of the European Youth Heart Study, Danish component. Plasma PFC concentrations were available from 499 children. Linear regression models were performed to determine the association between PFC exposure and indicators of adiposity and markers of glycemic control.
Results:
There was no association between PFC exposures and adiposity or markers of glycemic control in normal-weight children. Among overweight children, an increase of 10 ng perfluorooctane sulfonic acid/mL plasma was associated with 16.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2%-28.3%) higher insulin concentration, 12.0% (95% CI, 2.4%-22.4%) higher β-cell activity, 17.6% (95% CI, 5.8%-30.8%) higher insulin resistance, and 8.6% (95% CI, 1.2%-16.5%) higher triglyceride concentrations, and an increase of 10 ng perfluorooctanoic acid/mL plasma was associated with 71.6% (95% CI, 2.4%-187.5%) higher insulin concentration, 67.5% (95% CI, 5.5%-166.0%) higher β-cell function, 73.9% (95% CI, 0.2%-202.0%) higher insulin resistance, and 76.2% (95% CI, 22.8%-153.0%) higher triglyceride concentrations.
Discussion:
Increased PFC exposure in overweight 8- to 10-year-old children was associated with higher insulin and triglyceride concentrations. Chance findings may explain some of our results, and due to the cross-sectional design, reverse causation cannot be excluded. The findings therefore need to be confirmed in longitudinal studies.
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