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Background: Decreased muscle strength can lead to adverse health outcomes in the elderly. A potential association between phthalate exposure and muscle strength was suggested previously, but has not been investigated directly. We hypothesized that phthalate exposure is associated with lower handgrip strength and that the association is modified by the dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.Methods: We analyzed 1,228 participants (≥60 years of age) recruited in Seoul and Asan, Republic of Korea. The study participants were surveyed up to three times between 2012 and 2015. At every survey, we collected urine samples and measured handgrip strength twice for each hand. The associations between urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and handgrip strength were evaluated using linear mixed models. Based on dietary information from 391 individuals who participated in the first survey in Seoul, we evaluated the heterogeneity of the association for those with high and low omega-6 to omega-3 ratios, using 8.81 (the 75th quantile) as a cutoff value.Results: Log-transformed creatinine-adjusted concentrations of mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were inversely associated with all measured handgrip strengths (β = -0.69 to -0.42, all p-values < 0.05). Associations between phthalate biomarkers and handgrip strength did not differ by sex. When the dietary subgroup was stratified by the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, the associations were stronger among participants with high ratios.Conclusions: We found inverse associations between phthalate biomarkers and handgrip strength in the elderly; this association was modified by the dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous animal studies have demonstrated that phthalate exposure is associated with depression-like behaviors. However, no human study has explored this relationship. We explored the association between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and depression in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. elderly population. We analyzed 2030 participants aged 60 years or older with available data on phthalates and depression from the 2005 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We selected 10 urinary phthalate metabolites with a weighted detection rate >60%. Depression was defined as a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10. The models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, income-to-poverty ratio, health insurance coverage, marital status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, moderate physical activity, body mass index, comorbidity status, NHANEs cycle, and urinary creatinine levels. One-unit increases in log-transformed mono-(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP) (odds ratio [OR]=1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.02–1.52) and mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP) (OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.15–1.75) were positively associated with depression. When we stratified the urinary phthalate metabolites into quartiles, the highest quartiles (Q4) of MCNP (OR=2.57, 95% CI=1.25–5.27) and mono- n -butyl phthalate (MBP) (OR=2.40, 95% CI=1.10–5.22) were associated with depression compared with the lowest quartiles (Q1). Concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites MCPP, MCNP, and MBP were positively associated with the risk of depression in a representative sample of the U.S. elderly population. However, the present cross-sectional study is hypothesis generating and the associations need to be investigated through further longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Lung function is a major predictor of morbidity and mortality. Only a few studies have explored the association between phthalate exposure and lung function. Objective To evaluate the association between phthalate exposure and lung function in the elderly. Methods A total of 3 repeated-measures surveys were conducted in 559 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years in Seoul, Korea, at 1-year intervals (2012–2015). During each survey, urinary mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydrohexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) (geometric mean, 15.68 μg/L), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (11.97 μg/L), and mono- n -butyl phthalate (MnBP) (2.09 μg/L) levels were measured; moreover, lung function tests and a structured questionnaire interview were performed. We constructed linear mixed models to assess the association between urinary phthalate metabolite levels and lung function. Results A doubling of creatinine-adjusted urinary phthalate metabolite levels was inversely associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (L) (β = −0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.02, 0.004 for MEHHP; β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.01 for MEOHP; β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.003 for MnBP) and forced vital capacity (L) (β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.001 for MEHHP; β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.004 for MEOHP; β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.001 for MnBP). A doubling of creatinine-adjusted MnBP levels was associated with increased rates of annual decline in forced vital capacity (L/year) (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.02, −0.001). Conclusions Urinary phthalate metabolite levels were associated with lower lung function and an increased rate of decline in lung function in an elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]