Abstract P047: Circulating Levels of the DDT Metabolite p,p'-DDE are Related to Prevalent Hypertension in the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Exposure to PCBs and dioxin to experimental animals increase blood pressure. We therefore investigated if circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were related to hypertension in a population-based sample. Methods: 1016 subjects aged 70 years were investigated in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. Hypertension was defined as either use of antihypertensive treatment or blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg. Twenty-one different POPs, including 16 PCBs, three pesticides (HCB, DDE and TNK), one dioxin (OCDD) and one brominated compound (BDE47) were analyzed by high-resolution chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/ HRMS) at age 70. Results: 732 subjects (72%) showed hypertension. When the POPs were treated as continuous variables and adjusted for gender only, several of the PCBs with a low number of chlorine atoms (PCB74, 99, 105, 118 and 138) were related to prevalent hypertension. Also the OC pesticides, HCB, TNK, pp-DDE, and the brominated compound BDE47 were related to hypertension. The strongest of these associations were seen for pp-DDE (OR 1.35 for a SD change, 95%CI 1.17-1.56, p<0.0001). Following further adjustment for serum cholesterol and triglycerides, BMI, smoking, education and exercise habits, only pp-DDE was still significant (OR 1.23 for a SD change, 95%CI 1.06- 1.43, p=0.006). Conclusion: In this cross-sectional analysis of an elderly population, high levels of circulating levels of pp-DDE were associated with prevalent hypertension, further strengthening the experimental findings that POPs might influence blood pressure.