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Flame Retardants and Thyroid Problems in Women

05/24/2016 | Environmental Health

Women with elevated levels of common types of flame retardant chemicals in their blood may be at a higher risk for thyroid disease—and the risk may be significantly higher among post-menopausal women, according to a new study lead by Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The new paper suggests a link between polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and increased risk of thyroid problems in post-menopausal women in a nationally representative sample of women in the U.S. Thyroid problems include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, or Hashimoto’s disease.

The researchers looked at a nationally representative sample of women involved in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They compared the levels of four common PBDEs in participants’ blood samples in 2003-04 with their history of thyroid problems.

The researchers found that, overall, women were about five times more likely than men to have a thyroid problem. The percentage ranged from 13-16% among women, compared with 2-3% among men.

Women with the highest flame retardant concentrations in their blood were significantly more likely than those with lower concentrations to have a thyroid problem. The effect size was doubled in post-menopausal women.

Other authors from the School include Eileen McNeely, Instructor in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard Chan School and John Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation at the Harvard Chan School.

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Paper

“PBDE flame retardants, thyroid disease, and menopausal status in U.S. women,” Joseph G. Allen, Sara Gale, R. Thomas Zoeller, John D. Spengler, Linda Birnbaum, Eileen McNeely, Environmental Health, online May 23, 2016, doi: 10.1186/s12940-016-0141-0.