PFAS exposure closely associated with impaired Bone Mineral density, suggests study

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-05-21T20:30:45+05:30 | Updated On 22 May 2024 12:09 PM IST

A recent study unveiled the potential health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by highlighting the associations between PFAS exposure and impaired bone development in Hispanic adolescents. The findings of the study were published in the Environmental Research journal.

This research included the Study of Latino Adolescents at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes (SOLAR) and the Southern California Children's Health Study (CHS) and focused on the impact of PFAS on bone mineral density (BMD) changes. Also, this research represents the first comprehensive examination of prospective associations between individual PFAS and their mixture with BMD changes specifically in Hispanic youth, a demographic at heightened risk of osteoporosis in adulthood.

By analyzing data from overweight/obese adolescents enrolled in SOLAR (n = 304) and young adults from CHS (n = 137), the study measured plasma PFAS levels at baseline and conducted dual x-ray absorptiometry scans to assess BMD at baseline and follow-up periods. The outcomes revealed a concerning correlation between baseline plasma perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) levels and longitudinal changes in BMD among SOLAR adolescents. Each doubling of PFOS was associated with a significant decrease in trunk BMD over the follow-up period.

Also, these associations persisted into young adulthood, where CHS participants expressed lower total BMD at baseline in relation to increased plasma PFOS levels. Although the longitudinal associations were non-significant in this cohort, which suggests a consistent detrimental effect of PFOS exposure on bone health across adolescence and into early adulthood. The implications of these findings signals a potential threat to future bone health and an increased risk of osteoporosis in adulthood among individuals with heightened PFAS exposure during critical developmental stages.

Source:

Beglarian, E., Costello, E., Walker, D. I., Wang, H., Alderete, T. L., Chen, Z., Valvi, D., Baumert, B. O., Rock, S., Rubbo, B., Aung, M. T., Gilliland, F. D., Goran, M. I., Jones, D. P., McConnell, R., Eckel, S. P., Conti, D. V., Goodrich, J. A., & Chatzi, L. (2024). Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and longitudinal changes in bone mineral density in adolescents and young adults: A multi-cohort study. In Environmental Research (Vol. 244, p. 117611). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117611

Environmental Researchbone mineral densityper- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Source : Environmental Research

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751