Associations between internal exposure to perfluorinated substances (PFAS) and the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in the EPIC-Potsdam study

• Applicant: Dr. Juliane Menzel
• Subject Area: Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 517005466

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a complex group of man-made chemicals with unique water- and oil-repellent properties. They have been used for decades in the manufacture of numerous consumer products, such as non-stick cookware, breathable textiles and food packaging. Consumption of food and drinking water is the main route of human exposure. Based on the observed associations between the blood concentration of PFAS and blood lipid levels (especially LDL cholesterol), it is suspected that PFAS may play a role in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The association with the risk of type 2 diabetes is also discussed. Public awareness of PFAS and their investigation in scientific studies has only increased in recent years. For this reason, to date, there are very few studies that have investigated the association between PFAS and the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the associations between baseline concentrations of PFOS/PFOA and other perfluorinated compounds in the blood and the risk of developing myocardial infarction, stroke and/or heart failure and type 2 diabetes during follow-up in a case-cohort study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam study. In addition, cross-sectional associations between concentrations of PFOS, PFOA and other perfluorinated compounds in blood and biomarkers of lipid metabolism (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides), glucose metabolism (glucose and HbA1c), liver metabolism (GGT, GPT), uric acid and hsCRP will be investigated in the representative subcohort. In addition, the relationships between PFAS and specific foods or food groups (e.g. meat, fish) will also be investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants