United States: The heart disease-related global mortality rate among individuals aged 55 through 64 increased by more than 10% in 2018 due to phthalates found in food storage containers, shampoo, cosmetics, perfumes, and children’s toys.
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According to the senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, “Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,” CNN Health reported.
As NYU Langone’s Division of Environmental Pediatrics and Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards director, he also maintains his role.
“Phthalates are known to disrupt testosterone,” as Trasande mentioned while adding that in men, “low testosterone is a predictor of adult cardiovascular disease.”
Ethical studies established a connection between phthalates and reproductive damage, which manifests as infant developmental genital issues, testosterone deficiencies, and reduced sperm output in adult males.
What are the experts stating?
According to David Andrews, acting chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group, a consumer organization that monitors exposure to phthalates and other chemicals in plastics, “The new study underscores the potentially enormous health and economic burden of DEHP exposure, which aligns with existing concerns about its risks,” CNN Health reported.
Scientific studies demonstrate that phthalates play a role in developing asthma and childhood obesity and establishing cancer.
The American Chemistry Council refused to comment on the study, yet the organization stated its High Phthalates Panel aims to showcase the benefits of high phthalates, including DINP and DIDP, through their email correspondence.
These ubiquitous chemicals receive the name “everywhere chemicals” because they exist virtually every day as phthalates appear in PVC plumbing pipes and vinyl flooring materials and rain-, stain-resistant products and medical tubing and garden hoses along with several children’s toys to enhance their plastic flexibility and durability.