People with high levels of exposure to certain insecticides may be more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.
In a December study in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers from the University of Iowa College of Public Health found that high levels of exposure to pyrethroid insecticides — used in agricultural, community and residential settings for mosquito and pest control — is associated with a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Using data on urine samples collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers were able to examine a nationally representative cohort. The study looked at total and cardiovascular deaths among participants in two cycles of the survey, following them for up to 16.8 years.
Researchers found that people with the highest levels of pyrethroid insecticide exposure, as measured by a biomarker in their urine, had greater all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates. There was no association between exposure to pyrethroid insecticide and cancer deaths.
“It is known that pyrethroids have neurotoxic effects,” lead study author Wei Bao, MD, PhD, told The Nation’s Health. “Its effects on cardiovascular system in humans remain to be understood.”
Pyrethroids are a synthetic adaptation of pyrethrin, which is derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Both are approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA describes the insecticides as being a “generally beneficial” alternative to other more obviously toxic pesticides.
Most exposure to pyrethroids is through food, such as when people eat produce that has been exposed to the chemical, previous research shows. Use of pyrethroids in gardens and homes for pest control also may expose consumers, as may community spraying for mosquitoes.
In an editorial accompanying the study, scientists at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health said the findings challenge the belief that pyrethroid exposures are safe.
“Pyrethroid pesticides are ubiquitous, and exposure is unavoidable; in New York City and elsewhere, aerial spraying for mosquito control to prevent West Nile virus and other vector-borne illnesses is largely based on pyrethroids,” said the editorial authors. “The results of this study warrant immediate further investigation, especially because pyrethroids have long been considered of minimal hazard to humans and play a vital role in public health control of vector-borne illnesses.”
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- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
