People with high blood levels of two forever chemicals during pregnancy weighed more and had higher body fat concentrations in mid-life than those with lower levels of the chemicals, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Forever chemicals, known technically as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have long been used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, cosmetics, and other consumer products. PFAS persist in the environment and can accumulate in tissues.
Conversely, the study found that those with higher levels of two other PFAS had lower weight and fat measures than those with the lowest levels of those chemicals.
The study was conducted by Jordan A. Burdeau, Ph.D., Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and colleagues. It appears in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Background
Weight gain during pregnancy is associated with obesity later in life. PFAS are also suspected of contributing to obesity. They may interact with cell surface molecules (receptors) and contribute to the formation of fat tissue. A few studies have been conducted on PFAS concentrations and weight gain up to 11 years after pregnancy. The authors undertook the current study to investigate the potential relationship between PFAS concentrations in early pregnancy and mid-life obesity.
Results
For the current study, researchers analyzed data from 547 participants of an earlier study that had enrolled pregnant people before their 22nd week. Researchers compared plasma PFAS concentrations taken at enrollment to weight and measures of body fat taken 17 to 20 years later.
Participants in the 75th percentile for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were on average 7.7 kilograms (almost 17 pounds) heavier than those in the 25th percentile. Similarly, those in the 75th percentile for PFOS had a trunk fat mass (fat in the abdomen, chest, and back) an average of 1.2 kilograms (about 2.7 pounds) higher than those in the 25th percentile. They also had an average total body fat mass that was 3 kilograms (almost 7 pounds) heavier than those in the 25th percentile.
Those with a PFOS level that was more than twice those of participants with the lowest PFOS level were an average of 3.8 kilograms (more than 8 pounds) heavier than those with the lowest level. Moreover, those with double the level of 2-(N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetate were 2.3 kilograms (about 5 pounds) heavier than those with the lowest amount of the compound.
Conversely, those with the highest levels of perfluorononanoate and perfluorohexane sulfonate weighed less and had lower fat measurements than those with lower levels of the compounds.
Significance
The authors concluded that pregnancy may be a sensitive period when certain PFAS could increase the chances of later life obesity and the accompanying risk of heart disease. They called for larger studies to confirm their findings. The results of such studies could inform interventions that protect against obesity and heart disease in mid-life.
Reference
Burdeau, JA, et al. Early pregnancy plasma per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and maternal midlife adiposity. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2024.
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