title: Circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are associated with left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Major risk factors for congestive heart failure (CHF) are myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, smoking, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and obesity. However, since these risk factors only explain part of the risk of CHF, we investigated whether persistent organic pollutants (POPs) might also play a role.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study, left ventricular ejection fraction, (EF), E/A-ratio and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), were determined by echocardiography and serum samples of 21 POPs were analyzed in serum measured by high-resolution chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) in 998 subjects all aged 70 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this cross-sectional analysis, high levels of several of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB congeners 99, 118, 105, 138, 153, and 180) and octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) were significantly related to a decreased EF. Some POPs were also related to a decreased E/A-ratio (PCBs 206 and 209). All the results were adjusted for gender, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, LVH and BMI, and subjects with myocardial infarction or atrial fibrillation were excluded from the analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating levels of POPs were related to impairments in both left ventricular systolic and diastolic function independently of major congestive heart failure risk factors, suggesting a possible role of POPs in heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ylva
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sjöberg Lind
authors.forename: P Monica
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salihovic
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Bavel
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lind
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood*; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls