Polychlorinated biphenyls and incident coronary heart disease-related outcomes in Great Lakes fish consumers

Michael J Blackowicz; Victoria W Persky; Robert M Sargis; Sally Freels; Henry A Anderson; Mary E Turyk

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.119071

Polychlorinated biphenyls and incident coronary heart disease-related outcomes in Great Lakes fish consumers

Environ Res. 2024 May 13:255:119071. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119071. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Michael J Blackowicz¹, Victoria W Persky², Robert M Sargis³, Sally Freels¹, Henry A Anderson⁴, Mary E Turyk⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
² Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Chicago Center for Health and Environment (CACHET), University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
³ Chicago Center for Health and Environment (CACHET), University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
⁴ Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, 610 Walnut St., Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
⁵ Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Chicago Center for Health and Environment (CACHET), University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. Electronic address: mturyk1@uic.edu.

PMID: 38751005
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119071

Abstract

Background: Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been linked to risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as increased inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, diabetes, and sex hormone dysregulation. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence suggesting associations between internal dose of PCBs and cardiovascular outcomes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate longitudinal associations of PCBs with coronary heart disease (CHD)-related outcomes in a cohort of Great Lakes sport fish consumers.

Methods: The Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumer cohort was established in the early 1990's. Eight hundred nineteen participants were followed from 1993 to 2017. Serum PCBs were measured in 1994/1995 (baseline), in 2001, and in 2004, while health history questionnaires were administered in 1996, 2003, 2010, and 2017. Cox models were used to prospectively investigate associations of total PCBs and PCB groupings, based on aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity, with incident self-reported physician diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), and angina pectoris.

Results: A 2-fold increase in phenobarbital-type PCBs was associated with a 72% increase in likelihood of self-reported incident diagnosis of CHD (HR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.06-2.81; p=0.0294). Similar results were observed for total PCBs (HR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.05-2.69; p=0.0306) and mixed methacholine/phenobarbital type (mixed-type) PCBs (HR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.02-2.52; p=0.0427), but not methacholine-type PCBs. PCBs were not strongly associated with risk of MI or angina.

Conclusions: This study presents evidence that exposure to PCBs increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Given the large number of risk factors and causal pathways for CHD, future research is required to better understand biological mechanisms of action for PCBs on CHD.

Keywords: Fish consumption; Great Lakes; Heart disease; PCBs; Persistent organic pollutants.