title: Predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease in people exposed to moderate to high levels of dioxin.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dioxins can cause cardiovascular toxicity in experimental animals. The potential role of dioxin exposure as a preventable risk factor has attracted the attention of public health services, especially because dioxin exposure is a ubiquitous problem. We aimed to investigate and clarify the effect on CVD risk of moderate-to-high exposure to dioxins. This cross-sectional study investigated 914 residents without CVD near a deserted pentachlorophenol factory. CVD-related factors were measured to examine their associations with serum dioxin. We also investigated associations between serum dioxins and the Framingham risk score. Serum PCDD/F levels were significantly positively associated with CVD risk in both genders (Men: b=0.023, P<0.001; Women: b=0.005, P<0.001; All: b=0.013, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, participants with higher serum PCDD/F levels had a higher risk for CVD than did the reference group (serum PCDD/levels<9.8 pg WHO(98)-TEQ(DF)/g lipid) (25th to <50th percentile, adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.96 [95% confidence interval (CI)=1.13-7.75]; 50th to<75th percentile, AOR=3.37 [1.32-8.59]; ≥75th percentile, AOR=6.22 [2.47-15.63]). We hypothesize that accumulated dioxins heightens the cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jung-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsiu-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Huey-Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Po-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ching-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004147:Dioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins