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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Urinary phthalate metabolites and alternatives and serum sex steroid hormones among pre- and postmenopausal women from NHANES, 2013-16.

Authors: Long, Sara E; Kahn, Linda G; Trasande, Leonardo; Jacobson, Melanie H

Published In Sci Total Environ, (2021 May 15)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Exposure to phthalates is ubiquitous across the United States. While phthalates have anti-androgenic effects in men, there is little research on their potential impacts on sex hormone concentrations in women and that also take into account menopausal status. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on urinary phthalate metabolites, serum sex hormones, and relevant covariates were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-14 and 2015-16. Women over the age of 20 who were not pregnant or breastfeeding and had not undergone oophorectomy were included (n = 698 premenopausal, n = 557 postmenopausal). Weighted multivariable linear and Tobit regression models stratified by menopausal status were fit with natural log-transformed phthalate concentrations and sex hormone outcomes adjusting for relevant covariates. RESULTS: Phthalate metabolites were associated with differences in sex hormone concentrations among postmenopausal women only. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was associated with lower serum estradiol and bioavailable testosterone concentrations. Specifically, a doubling of DEHP concentrations was associated with 5.9% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.2%, 11.3%) lower estradiol and 6.2% (95% CI: 0.0%, 12.1%) lower bioavailable testosterone concentrations. In contrast, 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid di-isononyl ester (DINCH) was associated with higher free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, and free androgen index. Finally, di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP) was associated with a higher testosterone-to-estradiol ratio. None of these results retained statistical significance when adjusted for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: DEHP, DINCH, and DEHTP were associated with differences in serum sex hormone concentrations among postmenopausal women, highlighting the need for further research into the safety of these chemicals.

PubMed ID: 33493905 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Cross-Sectional Studies; Diethylhexyl Phthalate*; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Humans; Male; Nutrition Surveys; Phthalic Acids*; Postmenopause; Pregnancy

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