A new study out of the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) notes that phthalates could be causing your male patients cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Simply put, phthalates are found in everyday plastics like toys, medications, and other consumer products. What’s more, they can be found in certain foods—namely, those that have been processed and packaged.
This study looked at 1500 Australian men aged 35 and over. In 99.6 per cent of those examined, phthalates were present in urine samples.
“We found that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure increased among those men with higher total phthalate levels,” says senior author Associate Professor Zumin Shi, from the University of Adelaide’s Adelaide Medical School and the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health, and a member of SAHMRI’s Nutrition & Metabolism theme.
“While we still don’t understand the exact reasons why phthalates are independently linked to disease, we do know the chemicals impact on the human endocrine system, which controls hormone release that regulate the body’s growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function. In addition to chronic diseases, higher phthalate levels were associated with increased levels of a range of inflammatory biomarkers in the body,” he adds.
What’s more, previous studies have shown that men who ate less fresh fruit and vegetables and more processed and packaged foods have higher levels of phthalates in their urine. As such, it is important to ensure that your clients are following a proper diet, as well as steering toward phthalate-free containers and medications.
Associate Professor Shi says that although the studies were conducted in men, the findings are also likely to be relevant to women.
