title: Associations of persistent organic pollutants with abdominal obesity in the elderly: The Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In animal experiments, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have induced visceral obesity. To address this possibility in humans, we evaluated associations between POPs and abdominal obesity both cross-sectionally and prospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one plasma POPs (16 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 3 organochlorine (OC) pesticides, 1 brominated diphenyl ether (BDE), and 1 dioxin) were measured at baseline in 970 participants aged 70 years of the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS), with prospective analyses in 511 participants re-examined after 5 years. Abdominal obesity was defined by an increased waist circumference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the cross-sectional analyses, concentrations of the less chlorinated PCBs, OC pesticides such as p,p'-DDE and dioxin had adjusted odds ratios of 2 to 3 for abdominal obesity. Many relations had inverted U-shapes rather than being linear, particularly in women. In contrast, concentrations of highly chlorinated PCBs were strongly inversely associated with abdominal obesity. In a single model including summary measures of the less chlorinated PCBs, highly chlorinated PCBs, and OC pesticides, both the positive associations and inverse associations strengthened. Similar but somewhat weaker associations were seen between POPs and risk of development of abdominal obesity in the prospective analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using both a cross-sectional and a prospective design, low-dose exposure to less chlorinated PCBs, p,p'-DDE, and dioxin, were associated with existence or development of abdominal obesity, while highly chlorinated PCBs had an opposite association in an elderly population, despite the previous observation of higher incident diabetes associated with these same PCBs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventative Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: lee_dh@knu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Duk-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Acute and Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: MTM Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salihovic
authors.affiliation: MTM Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Bavel
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: P Monica
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lind
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls