Bisphenol A and Peripheral Arterial Disease: Results from the NHANES

Abstract

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, and > 93% of U.S. adults have detectable levels of urinary BPA. Recent animal studies have suggested that BPA exposure may have a role in several mechanisms involved in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including weight gain, insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. However, few human studies have examined the association between markers of BPA exposure and CVD. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a subclinical measure of atherosclerotic vascular disease and a strong independent risk factor for CVD and mortality.Objective: We examined the association between urinary BPA levels and PAD in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.Methods: We analyzed data from 745 participants in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2003–2004. We estimated associations between urinary BPA levels (in tertiles) and PAD (ankle–brachial index < 0.9, n = 63) using logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, urinary creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and serum cholesterol levels).Results: We observed a significant, positive association between increasing levels of urinary BPA and PAD before and after adjusting for confounders. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for PAD associated with the highest versus lowest tertile of urinary BPA was 2.69 (95% confidence interval: 1.02, 7.09; p-trend = 0.01).Conclusions: Urinary BPA levels were significantly associated with PAD, independent of traditional CVD risk factors.

Lifestyle and Dietary Risk Factors for Peripheral Artery Disease

“…56 A similar association has been reported for organochlorine pesticides. 57 Atherosclerotic PAD is also associated with genetic variants and it is known to have a heritable component.…”

An investigation into bisphenol-A leaching from orthodontic materials

“…However, many recent studies have demonstrated observable adverse effects, such as cancer cell proliferation, 36 with BPA doses below the EPA reference dose. [37][38][39] Furthermore, elevated human urinary BPA levels have been associated with peripheral arterial disease, 40 cardiovascular disease, diabetes, abnormal liver enzyme levels, 41 and obesity in children and adolescents. 42 Based on this evidence, it seems prudent to minimize our patients' exposure to BPA.…”

Perinatal exposure to bisphenol A exacerbates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-like phenotype in male rat offspring fed on a high-fat diet

“…Recently, growing evidence has indicated that exposure to BPA is associated with an increased risk of some metabolic diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, etc. (Alonso-Magdalena et al 2011, Shankar et al 2012, Vom Saal et al 2012. The presence of these metabolic disorder events has been documented to predict the future development of NAFLD (Fan et al 2005, Hamaguchi et al 2005.…”