Higher urinary phthalate concentrations associated with chronic disease in men

Phthalates are hard to avoid given their widespread use in consumer products such as food packaging, toys, medical devices, and cosmetics. It is no surprise then that a recent Australian study found that of 1,500 urine samples from men over age 35, phthalates were detected in over 99.6 percent. Additionally, researchers determined that among men with higher total phthalate levels, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure increased.

According to senior author Zumin Shi, associate professor at the University of Adelaide's School of Medicine and the Freemason's Foundation Centre for Men's Health, “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.”

Study results will be published in the October issue of the journal Environmental Research.

[Source: Medical Xpress]