BPA May Increase Testosterone Levels In Men
Bisphenol A (BPA), "a chemical found in plastics, has been shown to increase testosterone levels in men," according to a study published Aug. 25 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. After analyzing urine samples taken from 715 adults, researchers "found that men who had high levels of the chemical bisphenol A also had higher testosterone levels, compared to men with lower levels of the chemical in their bodies." "BPA excretion was not associated with other serum parameters in men and had no associations with serum outcomes in women," The study authors concluded, "These results are important, because they provide a first report in a large-scale human population of
associations between elevated exposure to BPA and alterations in circulating hormone levels."
Galloway T, Cipelli R, Guralnick J, et al.
Daily Bisphenol A Excretion and Associations with Sex Hormone Concentrations: Results from the InCHIANTI Adult Population Study. Environ Health Perspect.
Environmental Health Perspectives: Daily Bisphenol A Excretion and Associations with Sex Hormone Concentrations: Results from the InCHIANTI Adult Population Study
Background: Bisphenol A is a high production volume chemical widely used in food and drinks packaging. Numerous studies demonstrate that BPA can alter endocrine function in animals, yet human studies remain limited.
Objective: To estimate daily excretion of BPA in adults and to examine hypothesized associations with serum estrogen and testosterone concentrations.
Design, setting and participants: Cross-sectional analysis of associations in the InCHIANTI study, an Italian population sample. Included were 715 adults aged 20 through 74 years. BPA concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in 24 hour urine samples.
Main outcome measures: serum concentrations of total testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol.
Results: Geometric mean urinary BPA concentration was 3.59 ng/ml (95% CI 3.42 to 3.77), and mean excretion was 5.63 µg/day (5th population percentile 2.1 µg/day , 95th percentile 16.4 µg/day). Higher excretion was found in men, younger respondents and with increasing waist circumference (p=0.013) and weight (p=0.003).
Daily BPA excretion was associated with total testosterone concentrations in men, in age and study site adjusted models (p= 0.044) and in models adjusted additionally for smoking, measures of obesity and urinary creatinine concentrations (?=0.046 CI 0.015 to 0.076, p=0.004). There were no associations with the other serum measures. There were no associations with the primary outcomes in women, but there was an association between BPA and SHBG concentrations in the 60 pre-menopausal women.
Conclusion: Higher BPA exposure may be associated with endocrine changes in men. The mechanisms involved in the observed cross-sectional association with total testosterone concentrations need to be clarified.
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