环境毒物，如二恶英、多氯联苯和农药，可能具有造成心血管疾病的风险。这是血液中长寿命的有机环境毒物浓度与动脉粥样硬化之间首次被证明存在关联。由乌普萨拉大学（Uppsala University）研究人员进行的这项研究将于本周在网上公布，随后还将刊登在权威杂志《环境与健康展望》(Environmental Health Perspectives)上。
心血管疾病，包括心脏病发作和中风，是工业化国家最常见的死亡原因，而造成此类疾病的最重要的根本原因是动脉粥样硬化。血脂不平衡、糖尿病、吸烟和高血压是传统上公认的造成动脉粥样硬化的危险因素。
以往的研究也曾报道，心血管疾病和血液中高浓度的持久性（长寿命和难以降解的）有机环境毒物，如二恶英、多氯联苯、农药，之间可能存在联系。此类化合物具有脂溶性，因此会积聚在血管壁上。然而，早期的研究从未调查过接触此类化合物与动脉粥样硬化之间可能存在的联系。
目前的研究测量了生活在乌普萨拉的约1,000名瑞典人体内上述化合物的循环水平。此外还利用超声波测量了其颈动脉粥样硬化情况。
调查结果显示，即使将传统的危险因素考虑在内，不断增加的环境毒物浓度和动脉粥样硬化之间也存在着明确的联系，此外它还与血管壁上明显的脂肪堆积现象存在关联。
乌普萨拉大学医学系教授Lars Lind表示：“这些研究结果表明，长寿命的有机环境毒物可能参与了动脉粥样硬化的发生，从而导致患者日后死于心血管疾病。”
职业与环境医学副教授Monica Lind则表示：“目前，大部分此类物质在瑞典以及世界上许多国家都是受到禁止的，但由于此类物质的寿命很长，所以仍然存在于我们生活的环境之中。我们从所吃的食物中摄入的这些环境毒物会存储在我们体内，其浓度将随着我们年龄的增长越来越高。”
研究人员正在继续研究此类化合物对动脉粥样硬化实验模型有何影响。他们还将对接受研究的个人进行监测，以确定接触此类物质的行为与人类心脏病发作和中风之间是否存在着直接联系。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1289/ehp.1103563
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Circulating Levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Carotid Atherosclerosis in the Elderly
P Monica Lind, Bert van Bavel, Samira Salihovic, Lars Lind
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Increased circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been associated with myocardial infarction. Since myocardial infarction is an atherosclerotic disease, we investigated, in a cross-sectional study, if levels of POPs are related to atherosclerosis.
METHODS: In the population-based Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study (of 1016 participants aged 70) the prevalence of carotid artery plaques was determined by ultrasound. The number of carotid arteries with plaques (0, 1 or 2) was recorded. Also the thickness (IMT) and grey scale (IM-GSM) of the intima-media complex were measured. Twenty-three POPs, including 16 PCBs, five pesticides, one dioxin and one brominated compound (BDE47) were analyzed by high-resolution chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/ HRMS).
RESULTS: Seven of the POPs (PCB congeners 153, 156, 157, 170, 180, 206 and 209) were significantly associated with the number of carotid arteries with plaques even after adjustment for multiple risk factors (gender, waist circumference, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL and LDL-cholesterol, serum triglycerides, smoking, antihypertensive treatment, and statin use, p=0.002-0.0001). Highly chlorinated PCBs (194, 206 and 209) were associated with an echolucent IM-GSM (p<0.0001 after adjustment), while associations between POPs and IMT were modest.
CONCLUSIONS: Circulating levels of PCBs were associated with atherosclerotic plaques and echogenicity of the intima-media complex, independently of cardiovascular risk factors, including lipids. This suggests that POPs may be a risk factor myocardial infarction, but associations need to be confirmed in prospective studies.
