Association between mixed exposure of phenols, parabens, phthalates and cognitive function in US elders

In an aging society, understanding the factors influencing cognitive function in older adults is of great significance. Phenols, parabens, and phthalates (PAEs) can disrupt normal neural signaling. This research aims to investigate the association between mixed exposure of phenols, parabens, PAEs and cognitive function in US elders. Given that older adults are a vulnerable group in terms of health, and cognitive decline can severely impact their quality of life and independence. Studying the effects of these commonly - encountered environmental chemicals on their cognitive function is crucial as it can provide scientific basis for formulating public health policies.

A total of 856 participants were selected from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2014. The generalized linear (GLM), weighted quantile sum (WQS), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were used to evaluate the associations between mixed PAEs and the standardized z-scores for the four cognitive tests.

The mixed effect of the nine exposures examined is positively associated with lower IRT scores (OR: 1.77, 95 % CI: 1.04-3.02) for males in the WQS regression model. MEHP exhibits the largest contribution of all combinations. In the BKMR regression model, mixed exposure and cognitive impairment show positive correlation in the IRT, the DSST, and the global test for males.

Exposure to phenols, parabens, and PAEs may negatively affect cognition in older adults, particularly the male population. The effect of mixed exposure is positively associated with lower IRT scores and MECP has a dominant role.