Urinary phthalate metabolites and heart rate variability: A panel study

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 330; p. 121760
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ziqian, Liu, Miao, Zhao, Lei, Liu, Linlin, Guo, Wenting, Yu, Jie, Yang, Huihua, Lai, Xuefeng, Zhang, Xiaomin, Yang, Liangle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2023
• Subjects: Bayesian kernel machine regression; Bayesian theory; cardiovascular diseases; heart rate; Heart rate variability; metabolites; Panel study; Phthalate mixtures; phthalates; pollution; spectrometers; Phthalate mixtures; Bayesian kernel machine regression; Panel study; Heart rate variability
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121760

Phthalates exposure is linked with cardiovascular disease. Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is an early indicator of cardiac autonomic imbalance. We conducted a longitudinal panel study in 127 Chinese adults with 3 repeated visits to explore the associations of individual and mixtures of phthalates exposure with HRV. We quantified 10 urinary phthalate metabolites by gas chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS) and 6 HRV indices by 3-channel digital Holter monitors. Linear mixed-effect (LME) models and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were separately implemented to evaluate the associations. After multivariate adjustments, we found that urinary mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP) at lag 0 day were inversely associated with low-frequency power (LF) or total power (TP) (all P-FDR <0.05). In mixture analysis, we observed negative overall associations of phthalate mixtures at lag 0 day with LF or TP, and MiBP was the major contributor. Moreover, stratified analysis suggested that the inverse relationships of MiBP at lag 0 day with LF and TP were more prominent in subjects aged >50 years (all Pinteraction < 0.01). Our findings revealed that exposure to individual and mixtures of phthalates, especially MiBP, were related to decreased HRV. [Display omitted] •Ten urinary phthalates and 6 HRV indices were repeatedly measured over three seasons.•The mixture of phthalate metabolites was associated with decreased LF and TP.•The inverse relationships of MiBP with LF and TP were age-specific.