Circulating levels of perfluoroalkyl substances are associated with dietary patterns – A cross sectional study in elderly Swedish men and women

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 150; pp. 59 - 65
• Main Authors: Sjogren, Per, Montse, Rachel, Lampa, Erik, Salihovic, Samira, van Bavel, Bert, Lind, Lars, Lind, P. Monica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.10.2016
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; BLOOD; blood serum; BODY BURDEN; CARBOHYDRATES; Cross-Sectional Studies; DIET; Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Diet, Mediterranean; Dietary patterns; Dietary Proteins - analysis; eating habits; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; Elderly; Enviromental Science; Environmental Pollutants - blood; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Epidemiology; exposure pathways; Female; Fluorocarbons - blood; food records; healthy diet; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Mediterranean diet; men; Miljövetenskap; MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS; Perfluoroalkyl substances; perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; perfluorononanoic acid; perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; perfluorooctanoic acid; Prospective Studies; regression analysis; SULFONAMIDES; SULFONIC ACIDS; Sweden; women; World Health Organization; Dietary patterns; PFHxS; PFUnDA; PFHpA; PFNA; PFAS; PFOA; Epidemiology; PFOSA; Diet; PFDA; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Elderly; PFOS
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.05.016

In our daily life, we are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with possible health implications. The main exposure route for these substances is diet but comparative studies on how dietary habits influence exposure are lacking. To examine the relations between blood levels of PFAS and adherence to three predefined dietary patterns (a WHO recommended diet, a Mediterranean-like diet, and a Low-Carbohydrate High-Protein (LCHP) diet) in an elderly Swedish population. Dietary data from 7-day food records and serum concentrations of PFAS were obtained from a 70-year-old Swedish population (n=844), the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. The Healthy Diet Indicator score (based on WHO recommendations), the Mediterranean Diet Score and LCHP score were used to assess adherence. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the associations between eight major PFAS and adherence to each dietary pattern. The WHO recommended diet was positively associated with perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). The LCHP diet was positively related to four out of eight PFAS; namely, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA). The Mediterranean-like diet was positively associated with most PFAS; namely perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), PFHxS, PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnDA. All dietary patterns were positively associated with blood levels of PFAS. The highest body burden of PFAS was found in individuals with high adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet, whilst individuals who more closely followed the officially recommended diet displayed a lower body burden of these compounds. •Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) quantified in blood of 70-y-old Swedish subjects.•Adherence to predefined dietary patterns was associated with circulating PFAS.•A Mediterranean-like diet was positively associated with most circulating PFAS.•A low-carbohydrate high-protein diet was positively related to some PFAS in blood.•A WHO-recommended diet was only related to higher circulating levels of PFHxS.