Title | Association between Levels of Urine Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate Metabolites and Heart Rate Variability in Young Adults. | ||
Author | Chen, Ching-Way; Tang, Shu-Yu; Hwang, Jin-Shiang; Chan, Chang-Chuan; Hsu, Cheng-Chih; Lin, Chien-Yu; Su, Ta-Chen | ||
Journal | Toxics | Publication Year/Month | 2021-Dec |
PMID | 34941785 | PMCID | PMC8709404 |
Affiliation + expend | 1.Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin 640203, Taiwan. |
Phthalate exposure is associated with cardiovascular risk. Among the various phthalates, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a deleterious plasticizer in our daily lives. This study investigated the association between DEHP exposure and the alteration of heart rate variability (HRV). During 2017-2019, we recruited 974 young adults to investigate the effects of living environments and dietary habits on cardiometabolic disorders in Taiwan. We quantitatively analyzed urinary metabolites of DHEP. A continuous electrocardiogram was recorded to obtain a 5-min ECG. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV analyses were performed. Multiple linear regression showed that urinary oxidized DEHP metabolites MEHHP and MEOHP were associated with decreased HRV after controlling for associated cardiovascular risk factors. A higher MEHHP level was associated with a lower triangular interpolation of NN interval histogram (TINN), very low frequency (VLF), and low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio. A higher MEOHP level was associated with a decreased LF/HF ratio. In addition, trend analysis showed that higher MEHHP and MEOHP quantiles were significantly associated with a decreased LF/HF ratio. DEHP is a potentially harmful and invisible chemical. The urinary DEHP metabolites MEHHP and MEOHP are associated with decreased HRV, indicating an adverse effect on autonomic balance in young adults in Taiwan.