Pediatrics：塑料包装易致儿童血压高

　　据英国《每日邮报》5月22日最新报道，美国《儿科》杂志刊登的一项新研究发现，包括食品塑料包装在内的普通塑料中的化学物质会增加儿童患高血压的风险。

　　纽约大学朗格尼医学中心、华盛顿大学和宾夕法尼亚州立大学医学院的科学家对近3000名儿童，展开了一项大规模联合研究。结果发现，食品包装中的邻苯二甲酸酯(DEHP)等化学物质会导致儿童发育初期的重要代谢及激素异常。令科学家担忧的是，塑料地板、塑料杯、沙滩球、塑料包装等物品中所含的无色无味有毒物质与青少年高血压发病率骤升有一定关系。

　　新研究负责人，儿科、环境医学与人口健康教授利奥纳多·特拉桑德博士表示：早期研究发现，邻苯二甲酸酯会抑制心脏细胞功能，导致血管压力增加，危害血管健康。但是新研究首次揭示了邻苯二甲酸酯与儿童心脏健康之间的关联性。新研究表明，减少儿童接触有害环境化学物质，少吃塑料包装食品，对保护儿童心血管健康具有重要意义

Urinary Phthalates Are Associated with Higher Blood Pressure in Childhood
Objective
To examine associations of urinary phthalate levels with blood pressure (BP) and serum triglyceride and lipoprotein levels in children.
Study design
We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample of US children aged 6-19 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2008. We quantified exposure to 3 families of phthalates—low molecular weight, high molecular weight and di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP)—based on molar concentration of urinary metabolites. We assessed descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate associations with BP and lipid levels.
Results
Controlling for an array of sociodemographic and behavioral factors, as well as diet and body mass index, levels of metabolites of DEHP, a phthalate commonly found in processed foods, were associated with higher age-, sex-, and height-standardized BP. For each log unit (roughly 3-fold) increase in DEHP metabolites, a 0.041 SD unit increase in systolic BP z-score was identified (P = .047). Metabolites of low molecular weight phthalates commonly found in cosmetics and personal care products were not associated with BP. Phthalate metabolites were not associated with triglyceride levels, high-density lipoprotein level, or prehypertension.
Conclusions
Dietary phthalate exposure is associated with higher systolic BP in children and adolescents. Further work is needed to confirm these associations, as well as to evaluate opportunities for intervention.