title: Circulating levels of p,p'-DDE are related to prevalent hypertension in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin given to experimental animals increase the blood pressure. We therefore investigated if circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were related to hypertension in a population-based sample of men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and sixteen subjects aged 70 years were investigated in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. Twenty-three POPs were analyzed using high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥140mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure ≥90mmHg, and/or use of antihypertensive medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred and thirty-two subjects (72%) showed hypertension. When the POPs were treated as continuous variables and adjusted for gender only, two PCBs with a low number of chlorine atoms (PCB 105 and 118) were related to prevalent hypertension. Also the OC pesticide p,p'-DDE was related to hypertension. The strongest of these associations was seen for p,p'-DDE (OR 1.35 for a 1 SD change, 95% CI 1.17-1.56, p<0.0001). Following further adjustment also for BMI, smoking status, education level and exercise habits, only p,p'-DDE was still significantly related to hypertension (OR 1.23 for a 1 SD change, 95% CI 1.06-1.43, p=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional analysis of an elderly population, high levels of circulating levels of p,p'-DDE were associated with prevalent hypertension, further strengthening the experimental findings that POPs might influence blood pressure.
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Ulleråkersvägen 40, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: monica.lind@medsci.uu.se.
authors: P Monica
authors: PM
authors: Lind
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Ulleråkersvägen 40, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Johanna
authors: J
authors: Penell
authors: MTM Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors: Samira
authors: S
authors: Salihovic
authors: MTM Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors: Bert
authors: B
authors: van Bavel
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Lind
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene
keywords: DDE; Elderly; Hypertension; Persistent organic pollutants; Polychlorinated biphenyls